


His Future Is In The Past (Mipha x Link)

by Andremoi



Series: Link and Mipha In Love [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-04-04 00:50:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 27,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14008539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andremoi/pseuds/Andremoi
Summary: With Ganon destroyed, the Champions gone and Zelda crowned Queen, Link ponders his future and works to recover a past love. This story begins two years after the end of the game. It’s for those of us who want a happier Mipha and Link outcome.This is a work of fan fiction using characters and events from the world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is owned and copyrighted by Nintendo. I obviously do not claim any ownership of the world or its characters. This writing is a work of my imagination and is for entertainment only. It is not part of the official Nintendo storyline.Spoiler Warning: This story has spoilers if you have not completed the game including the expansion packs.





	1. Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ganon destroyed, the Champions killed, and Zelda crowned Queen, Link ponders his future and works to recover a past love.

_This entire narrative is taken from notes written by Link that he carried with him at all times._

Link woke up suddenly to a clap of thunder and the sound of heavy rain beating against the window above his bed. The dawn sky was just starting to brighten. He could do without the thunder, but the sound of the steady rainfall that followed was soothing. There was no hurry to get up. He had a meeting later that day with Dr. Purah at the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab not far from his house, but there was still plenty of time. He lay there, his thoughts wandering.

A lot had happened in the past two years since Calamity Ganon's defeat. Monsters were pretty much gone now, the few remaining hiding out in remote parts of Hyrule. Once the Blood Moons stopped restoring them, it was no longer futile to destroy them, and that had been one of the first tasks. People traveled safely now. The Yiga Clan could still cause trouble, but the Gerudo were doing their best to keep an eye on them, and they were demoralized over Ganon's defeat. They were lying low now.

Re-building Hyrule was now the top priority. He smiled at how successful the Bolson Construction company had become. They had plenty of workers now and plenty to do, and some healthy competition as well. And, thank Hylia, they no longer had time to hang around his house every day.

Yes, the construction everywhere was going well, but there was one building, in particular, he was especially interested in, and that was the Temple of Time. The building itself had been repaired, but he was more interested in what stories of old had described was within it and whether that could be restored too. The legends said that on more than one occasion his predecessors had been able to travel back in time to aid their mission. That was the topic for his meeting with Dr. Purah.

He had taken this house in the quiet farming community of Hateno Village to be far away from the hustle and bustle of Hyrule Castle. People left him alone here. His comfortable little house afforded him a place to relax and reflect on his life on those occasions he wasn't traveling. It was when he was home that he spent time recording everything he could remember in a journal he was keeping. And that was harder than it sounded because he had lost all his memory. When he awoke from the Shrine of Resurrection a little over two years ago, his mind was a blank.

When he first awoke, he spent weeks recovering the memories he could from Zelda's Sheikah Slate. But those were only memories of times he had spent with her. He also recovered some memories from visiting the major villages in Hyrule and talking with people there. That helped him remember a little about Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, and Mipha, his fellow Champions. And that traveling bard, Kass, had shown him the times Zelda recruited each of the Champions. Then later Kass found that group picture Mipha requested at Hyrule Castle and it triggered a memory of that occasion. The last memory he had of all of them together was that fateful moment by the East Gate of Lanayru Road when Ganon attacked, and each of the Champions raced back to their Divine Beast. They had trusted in that ancient technology from ten thousand years ago, but Ganon had learned his lesson and outsmarted all of them. He never saw the Champions again, save in spirit form. All his memories of them were fragmented, isolated events.

But he had lived a life beyond those few memories, and he wanted to learn more about that, about who he was and the people in his life. Even when he first began his quest to save Hyrule, there were hints of other important things in his life, other people and places that must have meant a lot to him at that time. The most fruitful source of information came from Zora's Domain. Quite a few people there remembered him from over one hundred years ago. Some of the older ones hated him, but others recognized him as a friend and former playmate. From conversations, he learned he must have spent a good deal of time there. And when he spoke with King Dorephan and Prince Sidon, it became clear there was someone very special in his life who had lived there. Princess Mipha was much more than a fellow Champion. She was a childhood friend who had fallen in love with him and crafted an exquisite set of Zora armor in the expectation they would marry. At the time he learned all this he could barely remember her or how he had felt about her. His only memory of her back then was sitting together atop Vah Ruta as she healed a wound on his forearm and promised to care for him. But he had made progress recovering more memories since then, ones the Sheikah Slate couldn't help him with.

Speaking of the Sheikah Slate, he no longer had it. Zelda had taken it back from him after their victory in Hyrule Field. And when the four Champion spirits departed Hyrule after Ganon's defeat, he could no longer use their special powers. Urbosa's Fury, Daruk's Protection, Revali's Gale and Mipha's Grace were all gone. It was yet another sadness: having those powers to call upon made him feel his friends were still with him in some way. Now all he had left was that picture on his wall: the group picture of Zelda, the Champions and himself that Purah took just after the Champions inauguration ceremony with King Rhoam. He recalled it was Mipha's idea to take the picture and he was glad she thought of it. He remembered how cute Mipha was, sidling next to him and taking a deep breath as she straightened herself, trying to look her best for the picture. And then that big clown Daruk had "brought them all together." He looked at the picture now and then to remember all of them, but it was bittersweet. That was a happy moment of fun and togetherness, but little did any of them know at that time how short-lived it would be. Now the only friend he had left was Zelda: the rest were all dead.

He decided to get up, then walked over to the group picture. He gazed at Mipha's image, thinking of her now. It wasn't the best picture of her, but it was all he had.

"Mipha, if your spirit can hear me, don't give up," he said. "Maybe our dreams still can come true."

Then he decided to make himself a vegetable omelet for breakfast. Soon he was eating at his small table, surrounded by the prizes, all now mounted on his wall, which were given to him by the village leaders after freeing the Divine Beasts. There was Revali's Great Eagle bow, Daruk's Boulder Breaker, Urbosa's Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker shield, and most precious of all to him now, Mipha's Lightscale Trident.

Whenever he ate alone like this he liked to read his journal as he ate, looking over past chapters to refresh his memory. He opened it to a chapter he had titled 'Memories of Mipha'. He had written that chapter almost two years ago when he made his first lengthy visit to Zora's Domain. He sometimes wrote his journals in the third person so it would be easier for someone else to publish them or he could publish them himself under a pen name.

* * *

**Memories of Mipha**

_An extract from Link's journal. Link returns to Zora's Domain to continue learning what he can about his relationship with Mipha._

There was nothing more Link could do for now, so it was time to pay another visit to Zora's Domain. It was around this time he decided to wear the Zora Armor almost exclusively. It was convenient for swimming up waterfalls, and it felt more natural if he was going to the Domain.

Link arrived at the Domain, and he planned to speak to anyone he could who knew Mipha, and especially anyone who knew them both. When no one was available, he would explore the areas around the Domain and hope it would trigger some memories.

He first thought of chatting with some old childhood friends, now grown up and knights in the service of King Dorephan: the members of the Big Bad Bazz Brigade. That was a club they had formed as children and had a lot of fun together, though some of their adventures crossed the line and landed them all in hot water.

Link started with Bazz himself, the leader of the group. He remembered he taught Bazz some combat skills many years ago and it had helped Bazz become a Captain of the Royal Guards. He agreed to meet Link after he got off duty, and Bazz told him he would bring along Rivan and Gaddison too. They were two other members of the brigade, Gaddison being referred to as 'the heroine'.

So, the four of them got together after their guard duty ended. They talked about some of the adventures and pranks their little brigade had pulled.

"Remember the time we hid six frogs in the guard's helmet?" said Gaddison. "He nearly jumped into the pool when he went to put it on."

They all laughed at the memory.

"Well, I remember it best of all," said Link. "I was silly enough to dive into the water with you to get away and got caught almost instantly."

"Yes," laughed Bazz. "Your swimming speed isn't exactly the greatest. But I have to give you credit, you didn't squeal on the rest of us, though I think they guessed who we were."

They also teased Link a bit about not remembering them. It was all good fun. But eventually, he explained he was trying to recover memories, and while childhood ones were fun he was more interested in the time he spent with Mipha when he was older.

Well, concerning your time with Mipha, we can't really tell you a lot about that," said Gaddison. "You and she were friends from way back. Sometimes we would see the two of you taking a walk together or going for a swim. I think you both wanted some privacy, time to be alone together. So, we didn't get to see you much when you were with her. We thought you two might be like boyfriend and girlfriend, but we were never sure. I can tell you why I say that. At one point you spent time with my friend Kodah, the one I introduced you to. You had a pretty good time with her, and she used to call you Linny. Kodah was definitely interested in having you as her boyfriend, and Kodah thought Mipha was as well. But Kodah said you were very shy, and she could never tell for sure what you were feeling. Anyway, Kodah got jealous of all the time you kept spending with Mipha and said she finally forced you to choose between them. You chose Mipha. So maybe that means you were closer to a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with Mipha. On the other hand, Mipha was your friend for far longer than you knew Kodah, and maybe you just felt you shouldn't have to give up Mipha's friendship because of Kodah's jealousy. So that was why you chose Mipha, and you still considered Mipha no more than just a good friend."

"Gaddison is right," said Bazz. "I have to say you and Mipha were two of the shyest and quietest people we ever met. Even if you did have feelings for each other, I'm not sure either of you would dare to take the first step and express them. And you got a lot, lot worse sometime after you drew the sword that seals the darkness and later became the Princess of Hyrule's appointed knight. Then you were impossible to talk to, thinking only of your training and preparing for your big day with Ganon. So, I don't think anyone could figure out your feelings back then if you even had any. What exactly are you trying to remember?"

"I don't know exactly," said Link. "But from speaking with Mipha's family, I have come to realize Mipha had very strong feelings for me and I feel awful not knowing what mine were for her."

"How strong?" asked Gaddison.

"Do you see the armor I'm wearing?" said Link. "Want to guess who made it?"

"Holy Hylia," said Bazz. "Lady Mipha made that for you? You know what that means, her being a princess and all, right?"

"Yes, I know what it means," said Link. "But as far as I know Mipha never actually gave it to me. Her father gave it to me before I freed Ruta and told me Mipha had made it for me. He knew I needed to swim up waterfalls to take out Ruta's defenses. What I am trying to remember is if I would have accepted it."

"Well, I hope you would have accepted it!" said Gaddison. "It would have broken Lady Mipha's heart if you didn't, after she went to all the trouble of making it for you. It takes a good deal of time and care to make armor of that quality, and she must have been thinking of you the whole time she worked on it. Now I feel even sadder for you how events turned out. But why do you think you wouldn't have accepted it? I'm sure Lady Mipha was perceptive enough to know how you felt. But then again, I have to tell you that you are a very tough read, the strong silent type. And you only got worse later on after you obtained the sword. You think she mistook your friendship for something more? Of course, I guess she never actually gave the armor to you, so maybe she realized her mistake? But I just can't see someone as capable as Lady Mipha, our Domain's Champion, going to all the trouble of making you a set of armor like that if she didn't think you would accept it."

"I just don't know," said Link. "But it sounds from the way you say I behaved as if there might have been more than friendship involved."

"Only you can tell," said Rivan. "And I guess right now you can't tell, so we're back where we started."

So, Link's childhood friends were a little help, but they couldn't tell what his feelings were. He didn't know why he thought they could. Prince Sidon had been too young back then to remember much. But he hoped King Dorephan might know more, or perhaps say something that would trigger a memory. He made an appointment to visit him, and King Dorephan welcomed him warmly.

"Link, welcome," said King Dorephan. "I am always happy to see you, and consider you family. I understand you wanted to meet with me to discuss Mipha?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," I said. "I am trying to recover my memories of our time together and thought you might be able to help."

"It makes me happy to know you still care enough about her to do that, and I will certainly do what I can," said King Dorephan. "You read her diary which has the best information about her thoughts. I can try to recall things, but you have to realize it has been over one hundred years now. I remember her talking about you sometimes. When you were still very young she used to comment on how cute you were and that she enjoyed taking care of you. When you returned to the Domain after having been away for some time, she found you were more like someone of her same age than a child anymore. She began to look upon you as a special friend and someone she respected for your accomplishments. I know she was excited whenever you came to visit. You and she used to spend time together and she would return home in a very happy mood afterward. Though she didn't say anything at first, as a parent I could sense her interest in you was growing beyond friendship. Finally, one day, she told me plainly of her feelings and her plan to make the Zora Armor for you. I had no objection, as I knew you were the kind and caring person Mipha spoke of you as, and a person I would be happy to have as a son-in-law. Mipha always said she followed her heart, and nothing I could say would have dissuaded her anyway, not that I had any objection. So, she spent many hours preparing the armor for you, and I imagine thinking of how life would be with you afterward."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Link. "You have certainly helped me understand Mipha's feelings for me. But did she ever speak about what she thought my feelings for her were?"

"Ah, yes, I understand now" said King Dorephan. "You are trying to recover your own feelings. Well, Mipha herself was sometimes on the shy side, but I recall her saying you were often very quiet as well. She said she sometimes had trouble knowing what was on your mind. And I think that became especially true after you obtained the sword you hold and were assigned as the Princess of Hyrule's appointed knight. I know one time she returned home in tears after meeting with you. I asked her what was wrong. She told me you had become more withdrawn and difficult to talk to. She thought you had become overwhelmed by your responsibilities and she wished she could do something to ease your burden. But she could not heal whatever it was that was affecting you. I tried to console her as best I could, telling her you would get over it. But she was in a sad mood for quite some time after that."

Link was about to speak when King Dorephan continued.

"But as I think back I do remember something now that may help you. You returned here alone one last time a couple of weeks before the Great Calamity. Mipha told me she was planning to take you to Ruta to have some private time together. She returned home that evening in a good mood, telling me you were feeling much better but were very tired. She was going to see you the next day after breakfast and she thought that would be an excellent time to offer you the armor she had completed. I remember she was so excited she couldn't eat anything the next morning and I am not sure she slept much the night before, either. She went off to meet you at the inn. I prayed for her sake the meeting with you would go well. I know all her hopes were that you would accept the armor and marry her. She was gone almost the whole day and returned home late that afternoon I think. I hadn't seen her so happy in a long time, she was positively glowing. I asked her what had happened, assuming you must have accepted the armor and that was why she was so happy. But she seemed reluctant to say much, only that you and she had a wonderful time together, but you had to return to Princess Zelda. And then, to my surprise, she gave me the Zora Armor she had made for you and asked if I would hold it for her in case anything happened to her. As she didn't say anything further I didn't want to ask what had happened, feeing she would eventually tell me if she wanted to. Then the sad events occurred, and I never learned more."

"Do you think she offered me the armor, Your Majesty?" Link asked.

"I have wondered about that myself," said King Dorephan. "If she had offered it to you and you rejected it, she certainly would not have returned home in such a happy mood. So, we can certainly rule that out. Therefore, either she offered it to you and you accepted it, or she changed her mind and never offered it to you. But if you accepted it why would she still have it? And if she changed her mind, then it is hard to explain what caused her to be so happy. So, we are left with no clear answer. I gather you cannot recall anything of this?"

"I recall our meeting on Ruta," said Link. "But my memory of that ends too soon and sheds no light on what happened later. That's all I can recall for now. But our conversation has been a great help. I need to think about this more. Thank you, Your Majesty."

"You are very welcome, Link," said King Dorephan. "Should you remember anything else of your time with my daughter that you wish to share with me, do not hesitate to return. As I said, I think of you as family."

With that Link left. But what he had just learned, he thought, was very significant. He was happy to learn at least he hadn't rejected the armor. But what had happened that caused her to be so happy?

The next thing he wanted to do was explore the area around the Domain. He used to take walks and swim with Mipha. It must have been nearby. He would start tomorrow. For tonight he would splurge at the Seabed Inn and book a waterbed.

Next morning, he started planning his route. His only memory of Mipha so far was the one triggered by her statue. That had him sitting with her on top of Ruta at sunset. He had apparently injured his right arm somehow, and she was healing him. She spoke to him, and the very last memory he had of her was her saying she had hoped they could spend some time together after their work preparing for Ganon was done with. The look in her eyes when she said that was obvious, even to him. But the frustrating thing about that memory was it ended right there. What had he said back to her? He hoped he hadn't just sat there, speechless. She deserved better than that! Anyway, that had taken place at East Reservoir Lake, so maybe that was an excellent place to start.

He knew his way around and was soon climbing the stairs to the northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake. It was very quiet and peaceful there now. Ruta was gone. The only sounds were the gentle waves lapping against the pier and an occasional cry from one of the ducks swimming nearby. He strolled over to the bed and lay down, then tried to clear his mind and relax. Mipha and he must have come here to swim or talk at least. He took long slow breaths. His body started to relax. And then the memory hit him.

_He and Mipha had been swimming together here, and both of them were laughing. He was trying to swim back to the pier, and she kept distracting him by swimming loops around him._

_"Mipha, will you let me get to shore?" Link said breathing hard and laughing at the same time._

_"But you're so much fun to play with in the water," she laughed back. "Alright, I see you're getting tired."_

_They swam to the pier and climbed up. Then they sat together on the edge of the pier, their feet dangling in the water. The weather was beautiful. And so was she. He looked at her and smiled, and she looked back, her golden eyes looking straight into his. She smiled too. He felt warm and happy inside._

Then the memory ended.

He couldn't recall if Ruta was in the background so wasn't sure when this might have happened. Maybe it happened before Ruta was excavated. Or perhaps Ruta was there all along, and he didn't notice it. But it certainly felt like they were more than just friends in this memory though they may not have shared their feelings yet as Gaddison suspected.

Anyway, this was his most successful memory recovery so far. He was feeling encouraged.

Link skipped writing about the many failures he had trying to remember things and jumped to the next successful one.

It happened at Veiled Falls. He thought it likely Mipha and he might have come here. It was a beautiful location with a scenic waterfall. He made his way there and sat down on one of the rocks. What seemed to work best was for him to try to relax, take a mental picture of the location, and then close his eyes. Sometimes that worked, and sometimes he just fell asleep. But he tried that here now. He relaxed his breathing, taking slow and steady deep breaths and tried to clear his mind as he closed his eyes.

And this time it worked.

_He was sitting next to Mipha on this very rock. He noticed he was wearing his Champion tunic and he felt exhausted. Mipha was quiet, and he sensed she wanted to let him rest. The sun was shining, reflecting off the water into his eyes. He was breathing slowly, feeling tense but trying to relax. But with the sun in his eyes, he needed to close them._

_The next thing he knew he awoke with a start and felt the urge to find his sword. He didn't know where he was._

_"Relax, you're safe here," said Mipha. He had fallen asleep. His eyes had opened to find Mipha cradling his head in her lap and looking down at him with her gentle smile._

Then the memory ended. He recorded all of it in his journal.

The last memory he recovered on this trip occurred when he was climbing on Ruto Precipice. He sat down on one of the ice blue peaks there overlooking East Reservoir Lake. He pictured the scene, closed his eyes, and relaxed, hoping for the best. And he was rewarded with another memory.

_"Come on, what's taking you so long? You're not so nimble out of water, are you?" Link teased Mipha._

_"These cliffs are pretty high," said Mipha out of breath. "And my lungs are not as strong as yours. But the view is worth it. Just don't get too arrogant. You'll be sorry the next time we're in the water together."_

_He took her hand and helped her up to the top of the peak and they sat down together facing east across East Reservoir Lake._

_"Be careful," she said. "These rocks can be slippery. I can handle a dive into the lake from this height but don't you try it."_

_"I wouldn't dream of it!" Link said looking down._

_Then he looked across the water. There was a beautiful pair of waterfalls to the left and Mount Lanayru loomed in the distance to the right. All below them was the lake and around them the beautiful blue cliffs that surrounded parts of the Domain._

_"So, you agree the view is worth the hike?" said Mipha._

_"It’s breathtaking!" said Link. "No pun to your breathing intended. Can we sit here for a while?"_

_"Of course," she said. "You know I enjoy spending time with you. Or don't you know that?"_

_"Of course, I know that, Princess," said Link smiling at her. "And I feel happy whenever we're together."_

_She looked over at him and gave him that gentle smile of hers._

Then the memory ended. So, they were happy in each other's company. He already knew that but having another specific instance of it was helpful. And the tone of their conversation told him they were pretty familiar and at ease with each other.

Other smaller memories popped up here and there as well. And as he started recovering more memories of Mipha his feelings for her grew. Were these new feelings triggered by recovered memories or old feelings retrieved with them? Who could tell? But if he wasn't in love with her back then, though he was starting to believe he was, he was falling in love with her now.

And this was what Mipha's spirit had, for his benefit, been trying to prevent when she chose to leave her thoughts about him unsaid. Her spirit had started to say something to him, but then thought better of it. Her last words to him were "As for you, Link … well, never mind." She cared so much for him she wanted to let him move on. After all, what could come of falling in love with her now other than remorse? But the more he remembered of her, the more his feelings grew. It must be a combination of being lonely and a growing realization of how beautiful a person she had been, how much they enjoyed being together, and how happy they could have been had things worked out differently. If her spirit could still see him, he hoped she understood.

* * *

That was the end of the chapter in his journal. He had written that almost two years ago now, but it still rang true. He enjoyed re-reading some of the memories he recorded there. But he had finished breakfast now and it was time to put away his journal and clean up.

While he enjoyed his little house, he also liked to travel. He sometimes visited Impa at Kakariko Village and enjoyed talking with her and listening to her stories of the past. Impa had been a valuable ally and guide when he awoke from the Shrine of Resurrection with no memory. She was one of the few living Sheikah who remembered him from before Calamity Ganon's attack, and she had even saved his Champion Tunic for him for 100 years.

Impa would always welcome him warmly when he visited. She would ask him how he was and what he had learned from his travels. They would sometimes sit and have tea together. She was getting older, but her mind was as sharp as ever. But she was not entirely sympathetic with his efforts to recall his past. She would shake her head as if disappointed in him, and then encourage him to move on with his life and put the past behind him.

Impa's granddaughter Paya still lived with her and Paya was always nervous around him. Even to someone as bad at reading women's feelings as he was, he could tell she had a crush on him. Impa no doubt knew that, and he wondered if her urging him to move on meant she hoped he would develop a relationship with Paya. Paya was certainly a lovely person with a good heart, very devout, and he liked her and respected her dedication to prayer. In other circumstances, he would be happy to get to know her better. But he wasn't ready for a relationship with anyone at this point, and the fact he made Paya so uncomfortable was one reason he limited his visits to Impa.

Most of all he liked to spend time in Zora's Domain, talking to King Dorephan, Prince Sidon, and the others there who remembered Mipha and him from over a hundred years ago. Those conversations helped him remember. Or if not fully remember, at least learn more about the times he spent there with her. He almost always wore the Zora armor now. It fit him well, and that was one way of assuring he kept in shape. Besides, swimming up waterfalls often shortened his journeys. He still had other armor of course, and his blue Champion's tunic. He needed those for the few occasions he had to attend a meeting at Hyrule Castle.

Her Majesty, Zelda, was Queen of Hyrule now. Her coronation had been a grand ceremony, with crowds cheering, happy to see Hyrule under a new leader after a hundred years of desolation. At age 17 at the time, she was young to be crowned as ruler, but she offered hope to a long-suffering population amazed to see her alive after one hundred years. Of course, Link had attended the ceremony and even had a place of honor in the entourage. But soon after that, he began to feel no longer needed. Zelda was fully protected by the Royal Guards now, and there was far less to protect her from anyway. Then too she was kept very busy with her duties, and he didn't like to intrude. It had been shortly after the coronation that he had requested a private meeting with her. He recalled the meeting with her now.

He was ushered alone into a private reception room. After a few minutes, Zelda entered and gave him a welcoming smile. He immediately bent down on one knee. "Your Majesty, thank you for seeing me. I know how busy you are."

"Link, I am never too busy to see you. I would hope you know that by now. And, as I've told you before, when we are alone together, please call me Zelda."

"Of course, uh, Zelda," Link stammered as he rose to his feet.

"How are you, Link?" said Zelda. "You are looking well. You know I am always happy to see you."

"I'm fine, Zelda, still traveling a good deal," said Link. "And I enjoy seeing you, too. You look wonderful! And everyone I meet speaks very highly of you and how capable a ruler you are."

"I wonder if they sing my praises to you because they know we are friends?" laughed Zelda. "But I appreciate the compliment. What did you wish to see me about?"

"This is hard for me to say, Zelda, but I need to say it. I think it would be best if I left Hyrule Castle and spent time working on restoring my memory. I have made some progress here and there, but to push things further, I need to go out more and meet with the few people who remember me while they still can. Also, I'm not sure I'm needed here. Our task with Ganon is thankfully over, and you are well protected now. Of course, if you grant me leave, I will miss the people I've come to know here. And I will miss you most of all," said Link.

He spoke this better than he usually did, having rehearsed beforehand. He nervously watched Zelda for her reaction.

Zelda smiled sweetly, but her tone was sad.

"I shall be very sorry to see you go if that is your wish. It was a comfort to know you were here if I needed to talk to a friend or reminisce about my father and the others. I admit that my duties as Queen have kept me busy and we have not had much time together. I wish it were otherwise. But I understand you wish to recover your past. And I think I know the one you want to remember most of all," said Zelda.

Link blushed. They both knew she meant Mipha.

"So, not without sadness, I shall grant your request and relieve you, for now, of your duties here. Please take as much time as you need to recover your memories. But, Link, I hope you know that you will always have a special place in my heart as well, and you are forever welcome to return here anytime you wish. And I hope you will do so often."

"Thank you for being so understanding Zelda," Link said. "You know, if I may be so bold, how special you are to me as well and that I will always cherish our time together."

At that, he started to bow to take his leave, but Zelda stepped forward and stopped him, and embraced him with a hug which he returned. He closed his eyes, fighting back the tears, as they held each other.

"Oh, Link, I am going to miss you," said Zelda. "Please remember I am your good friend. I wish you success in seeking out your memories. But, as a friend, I would also like to see you happy. I hope you can move on with your life. I can imagine how painful your loss is. I too have had painful losses. But we cannot live forever in the past, Link. As I said, I would be happy to see you visit often and let me know how you are. In fact, I think I will make that a royal decree that you do!" Zelda teased him as they separated from their embrace.

"Yes, I will gladly honor your decree, Your Majesty," laughed Link. "And thank you, Zelda." Then he bowed and left the room.

That meeting had been almost two years ago. He did visit Zelda once a month or so as promised and enjoyed seeing her. She always received him happily and put aside an hour or more of her busy schedule for him. He told her what he had learned from his travels around the kingdom, and she, in turn, shared her plans for Hyrule's reconstruction. Zelda was indeed a very dear person to him. So much of the life he could remember was the time they spent together. She had matured from the 16-year-old girl he had been charged by her father to protect. Now she was a capable ruler. And yes, she was right. If the plan he was going to discuss with Dr. Purah couldn't work, he would indeed need to move on from the past.

As he cleaned up he recalled the times he had visited the Divine Beasts shortly before Ganon's defeat. At each Divine Beast, he had been able to enter a virtual world where he could hone his fighting skills by battling once again those horrible blight creatures Ganon had created. It was valuable training for his final battle. And it also let him hear the Champions' spirits a few more times. The voice of Mipha lamenting his inability to remember their time together, and that she would never forget made him choke up each time he thought of it. It was so cruel to lose someone who loved you so much.

He had been gradually recovering more memories over the past two years. His mind had been slowly healing itself. And he had traveled all over Zora's Domain seeking out places that would trigger a recollection. It seldom worked, but sometimes it did. And when it did, it only reinforced his need to learn even more about his time with Mipha and their feelings for each other. He still remembered just a little, but much more than before. Now he could recall a time they were sitting together watching a sunset over the water. Or another time they were sitting with their feet dangling in a pool of water covered with lily pads and the occasional frog. Mipha looked so happy being with him, and he remembered how happy and at ease he felt with her.

And as he recovered more memories, he recovered more feelings as well. He was in love with Mipha now and wished he could be with her somehow. They had been close friends since childhood, but as they matured, it had grown into much, much more. And now it was all gone. But he was hopeful there might be something he could do about that.

Zelda had told him that he should get on with his life. But getting on with his life was precisely the problem. What was his life now? He had fulfilled his duty to her and Hyrule as the hero. Zelda had a kingdom to govern, but what was he to do? All the combat and survival skills he had trained so hard to master weren't needed anymore. He felt useless now. It was ironic, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that his only future was in the past.


	2. Meeting with Doctor Purah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link presents his plan to Dr. Purah.

Dr. Purah, a Sheikah and director of the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, lived on a hillside above Hateno Village. Her experiments with an anti-aging rune had succeeded too well: she now looked like an 8-year-old girl though over 120 now. Purah and Robbie, the director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, were both experts on ancient Sheikah technology. Purah and Robbie were also the ones who brought Link to the Resurrection Shrine over a hundred years ago.

The rain had stopped, and Link strolled through Hateno Village on his way to the meeting. As usual, he stopped at Hylia's statue to say a prayer, partly for the success of his venture, but mostly for Zelda and his departed friends. Then he continued on his way up the hill. He was nervous about this meeting. For one thing, Purah could be quite rude and impatient, as she wanted to spend every minute on her research and did not welcome interruptions. For another, what he wanted to discuss with her might not fall on sympathetic ears.

What he wanted most of all was to spend his life with Mipha somehow, even if that meant traveling back in time. If possible, he would like to save the lives of the four Champions and defeat Calamity Ganon, as they should have done had things gone according to Princess Zelda's original plan. He could warn the Champions about the corruption of their Divine Beasts and tell Zelda what she needed to know to awaken her sealing power on time. Then their original plan to destroy Ganon might succeed. But if all that was impossible, then he would be content to go back if he could and spend his days with Mipha. If she was still willing, they would marry. Then they could at least have some of the life together they both wanted so much.

He was no scientist and didn't understand how the Temple of Time could be made to work. And even if it was possible to do as he wished, he was unsure he would be allowed to do it. Yes, there were stories of prior heroes using the Temple of Time to travel to the past, but those trips were to save Hyrule itself and thwart that generation's incarnation of Ganon. They were not done merely for personal reasons. But aside from personal reasons, his plan did offer a way to save Hyrule, and that was how he needed to sell it. With the benefit of hindsight, they would know Ganon's plan and would be better prepared for his attack. In any case, in the end, he would need Queen Zelda's approval.

He arrived at the lab and knocked and was told to enter.

"Link, right on time!" said Purah. "I like that. Please come in and sit down."

He looked around. Papers and books were strewn everywhere about the lab and it wasn't clear where he could sit. Symin saw his confusion.

"Let me straighten up a bit here," said Symin making room for Link to sit down. "All this mess shows we have been working hard. In fact...but I had better let Dr. Purah tell you about it."

"Yes," said Purah. "We, actually Dr. Robbie and I, have been working on how to protect the Guardians from being taken over by an outside force, as happened with Ganon. You know, Link, Robbie has felt badly ever since the Calamity that he wasn't able to help you and the Champions more. That motivated him to create the ancient weapons and armor that he did. But he and I have been discussing for years how we could have prevented the disaster that occurred. And I think what we have will work. Of course, unfortunately, we can't actually test it against Ganon itself, but I can simulate a strong attack on the Guardian's control mechanism and this defense we have been working on repels those efforts. I am very optimistic about this! Yes, this could be a big breakthrough."

"Um, Dr. Purah, I don't think Link came here to discuss Guardian defenses," said Symin.

"No, of course not," said Purah. "But you caught me at a good stopping point. What is it you wished to discuss?"

"Dr. Purah, I want to talk to you about the Temple of Time. I understand you and Dr. Robbie may be looking into restoring its function at some point?"

"Yes, we are interested in that," Purah answered. "Though we wanted to finish work on the Guardian safeguards first. We have made some limited progress in our understanding but can't say for sure we will ever be done restoring the Temple's function. Tampering with time is exceedingly dangerous, and one needs to be very careful. There is always a great risk when you tamper with time as the consequences are not always what you hoped for. Though you do so to make things better, they never turn out better for everyone. And you have to live with that. But why do you ask about this, Link? I know you are not a scientist by nature."

This was the part he dreaded, and he rubbed his hands nervously. He thought his best strategy was to discuss the plan to save all the Champions and Hyrule itself first. In fact, their recent discovery of how to prevent Ganon from taking control of the Guardians could play right into that scenario.

Link cleared his throat and began. "Dr. Purah, as you know there are some ancient stories of how the legendary hero used the Temple of Time to visit the past and thwart Ganon's plans. What I would like to discuss is whether we or rather I could do that too. If I went back in time, I could alert the Champions and help Zelda acquire her power. Then we could destroy Ganon and prevent the destruction of Hyrule. It seems worth considering."

Purah looked at him. "It's an interesting idea, but I see a lot of obstacles. The biggest, of course, is getting the time travel function of the Temple to work at all. Assuming it worked, the legends also say only a select few could pass through time, and the Master Sword played a key role. But it is also not clear we could control how far back in time you would go. In one story the hero could only go back and forth seven years. In another, it's uncertain how far back the hero went, but he could not control it. So even if we could restore the temple's function, we don't know if you would end up going back 102 years to change events, or much more or less than that. In any case, is it not also possible that your plan would fail and Hyrule be left worse off?"

"It's possible of course," Link answered. "But I don't see how my plan could end up any worse. Assuming I would retain my current memories when I went back, I could alert everyone to Ganon's plan. The Champions would not be caught by surprise in their Divine Beasts. Princess Zelda would know how to invoke her sealing power. And your recent discovery might safeguard the Guardians, preventing them from being taken over by Ganon. By the way, could your safeguard work on the Divine Beasts as well?" Link asked.

"We haven't tested it on them. We think it should work. But if we're going to rely on it to save Hyrule, we need to be very, very sure", Purah said.

"And frankly it will be hard to test it fully," added Symin. "We can't exactly resurrect Ganon temporarily and politely ask if he would try to take over the Guardians and Divine Beasts to see how effective our new defenses are."

Link stopped to think again. "No, of course. I understand. But how can things be any worse off if I go back? Even if we lose control of the Divine Beasts, we will have the Champions alive, and together we can retake them more easily than when I had to do it alone. And think of all the destruction and lives lost throughout Hyrule that we might be able to prevent."

Purah thought some more. "It's an idea. I want to discuss it with Robbie next and get his reaction. If Robbie agrees your plan has merit, and, more to the point, we can ever figure out the Temple of Time's secrets, we can present our case to Queen Zelda for approval. She may well have reservations about it as well. We know the Sheikah created Timeshift Stones at one time which controlled local time travel. I think we will need to concentrate our research in that area at first. Alright, was there anything else?" Purah asked.

"No, that's all. Thanks for meeting with me," Link responded.

He let himself out and headed back to Hateno Village. The meeting went well he thought. He could enjoy lunch in the village now.


	3. Sheikah Technology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year of research and the discovery of some documents in the Yiga Clan hideout, Dr. Purah is able to create a Timeshift Stone.

Almost a year had gone by since Link's meeting with Purah. He had not heard anything from her and desperately wanted to. But he was hesitant to ask her for two reasons: she hated anyone interrupting her research, and he wanted to believe she was making progress and didn't want to hear bad news. He had visited Zelda a few times but spent most of his time in Zora's Domain. He was always welcome there, but the people he knew had their own lives to live, and he felt uncomfortable interrupting them too much to discuss the past. His journeys tended to be lonely ones, re-visiting places and hoping they would trigger some hidden corner of his memory. Sometimes they did, but more often they didn't. It was frustrating.

He had just spent the day exploring the area around Zora's Domain hoping for some more recollections but without success. It was time to return to the Domain, get something to eat and then spend the night at the Seabed Inn. He first stopped at the Coral Reef market for some fish. By now everyone knew him.

"Link, good evening," said Clef. "As usual, we have some very fresh fish today."

"Yes, I know your fish is always fresh," laughed Link. "I'll take a Sizzlefin Trout and some Hylian rice, please."

"Here you are," said Clef. "That will be 36 rupees, please. And please enjoy your meal."

Link paid and took the food over to the pot near the inn to cook it. As he did so Kodah saw him and approached.

"Linny, I assume you are staying at the inn tonight?" said Kodah. "There is a message for you. Let me get it."

Kodah retrieved the message as Link finished cooking his food. He took the message and his food and carried it to one of the structures overlooking the plaza where he could sit down and eat. After sitting down and beginning his meal, he opened the envelope. It was a message from Dr. Purah.

_Link,_  
_I am sending this message to Zora's Domain since I believe you spend most of your time there these days. I have some good news I wish to share with you, and I think you will be pleased. But I am reluctant to put it in writing for fear of spies. Please return to our lab as soon as possible._

_Dr. Purah_  
_Director-Hateno Ancient Tech Lab_

This was exciting! But it was too late and he was too tired to travel back to Hateno Village now. He finished his meal and returned to the plaza, then walked up the steps and stopped by Goddess Hylia's statue. He bowed his head and said a prayer for Zelda and for his departed friends and for the success of his venture. Since Hylia was the Goddess of Time, prayer to her was most appropriate. Then he made his way back down to the plaza.

Prince Sidon was standing in front of Mipha's statue, lost in thought. He came here every night to think about the sister he loved so much and missed. That was something they had in common, and he sometimes spoke with Sidon. But tonight he did not want to disturb his thoughts. As was his custom when here overnight, Link placed a flower at the foot of Mipha's statue.

"Good night, Mipha," whispered Link. "You know I love you and I miss you."

He stood there for a few more minutes as he gazed at her statue. Then he headed to the inn. Given the good news that Purah hinted at, he splurged and spent 80 rupees on a waterbed. He was soon fast asleep.

The journey back to Hateno Village was uneventful. He took a shortcut by swimming across the Rutala River which was a much shorter route than following the road. He soon arrived at the tech lab where he was welcomed in. Purah came right to the point.

"Link, we have made excellent progress on some Sheikah technology. Not only has Robbie helped but the Gerudo recovered some important information from the Yiga Clan hideout where some ancient Sheikah documents had been hidden. In any case, while we have not figured out how the Temple of Time can be made to work, we have been able to create a pair of refined Timeshift Stones. And we can control the time shift amount pretty accurately. It turns out this is another function of the Sheikah Slate. As you may know from the legends, a Timeshift Stone can move an area around it back and forth in time. You strike the stone once to go back, then strike it again to return to the present. We've tested it, but you have to be careful. If you use it to go back in time, the effects of your actions will be evident in the present when you return, at least in the area under the stone's control that is," said Purah.

"This is great progress," Link said. "When can I use one of the stones?"

"We thought you would ask us that, and before we told you about our progress we shared our findings with Queen Zelda. She said she would permit you to use one of the stones if you promised to use it wisely and carefully. She said she had an idea what you had in mind, by the way," said Purah.

"I want to use it in Zora's Domain," Link said.

"Zelda told us that, so let me lay out some essential rules. She said you would want to meet with the late Zora Champion, Mipha. You must choose a time and place where you are not already meeting with her in the past, as interaction with your past self can cause unpredictable results. If you emerge in a time and place where your past self is present you must quickly return to the present. Do you understand this? It is of crucial importance," Purah said.

"Yes, I understand," said Link.

Purah went on, "You must also meet someplace where no one else is present or likely to wander into the Timeshift Stone range. It's important we limit any timeline tampering as much as possible."

"I think I know a good place for that," Link answered. "Vah Ruta back then sat in the middle of East Reservoir Lake, and I know Mipha often went there alone to train. I would like to consult my notes before committing to the actual time shift."

To recover his memories, Link had been taking notes for his journal from the information in diaries or other records he could find, plus conversations with Zoras. The former was more accurate, as even those with excellent memories could hardly be expected to give day-by-day accounts from over a hundred years ago. But the conversations still helped.

"Another rule it may be harder for you to follow is that you cannot reveal anything about someone's future. We are still researching time travel. If you warn Mipha, for example, about her death it can have unpredictable results for both you, her and all of us. Again, we need to understand things better before we tamper with our timeline."

Link understood and agreed.

"Finally," said Purah, "you must be careful not to leave the area controlled by the stone. If you were to do that you would vanish from the past and suddenly return to our present."

"I'll be careful to stay within the Timeshift Stone range," said Link.

"Very well," said Purah. "We have only created two stones. When you tell us the time shift needed I will program a stone using the Sheikah Slate."

Link left to return home and consult his notes. He needed to pick a time he felt confident Mipha would be training alone and he wouldn't be there. That would have been shortly before Ganon's return. After looking over everything he returned to the lab.

"I think eight days before the Great Calamity would be a perfect time," Link said. "I know Mipha was busy training then and I'm pretty sure she would be doing that alone at Vah Ruta. Also, I know I was far away from there then."

Purah reached over her desk and uncovered a bluish stone with a Sheikah symbol on it. Using the Sheikah Slate, she entered some information. The stone flashed white for an instant, then returned to a glowing blue. She handed the stone to Link.

"Thank you Purah and Symin. You don't know how much this means to me. Wish me well," said Link.

And with that, he left clutching the precious stone.

 


	4. Mipha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link uses a Timeshift Stone to travel back 102 years and spend a day with Mipha at East Reservoir Lake. Mipha senses something is wrong but elects to overlook it and enjoy the unexpected visit. Link discovers that only a week earlier their relationship had progressed much further than he realized.

**Chapter 4 - Mipha**

In his excitement, the journey back to Zora's Domain seemed to take forever, and he had to control himself from rushing it to the point of exhaustion.

He journeyed directly to East Reservoir Lake near where Vah Ruta was before he freed it. The lake and reservoir were quiet now, Vah Ruta having moved to a mountain peak. No one else was around. He removed the Timeshift Stone from his satchel and set it down behind some pots near the end of the reservoir pier where the stone would be hidden and his sudden appearance likely unseen. He didn't want to appear out of thin air and needed to pretend this was an unexpected visit. He realized he was almost three years older than he should have been at that time and hoped Mipha wouldn't notice or chalk it up to stress guarding Zelda. He also had the presence of mind not to wear his Zora armor, since at that point in the past he hadn't been given it. Or at least he didn't think he had. He only knew he had received it from King Dorephan. He had worn his Champion's tunic instead. He wondered if the Timeshift stone's range would expand to include Vah Ruta out on the lake. If not, he might have a problem getting close enough. He took a deep breath, said a short prayer to Hylia, and struck the stone.

The effect was instantaneous. The surrounding area changed all around him. It was earlier in the day as well, and the sun was shining in a cloudless sky. Mipha could be seen in the distance atop the trunk of Vah Ruta. He was indeed over one hundred years in the past. And then his emotions got the better of him and his eyes filled with tears of joy.

Mipha didn't see him right away, but after a few minutes, she noticed him standing on the northwest pier. She shouted and waved to him from Vah Ruta's trunk. Then she lowered the trunk, dove gracefully into the water, and quickly swam over to him.

"Link, this is a happy surprise! I didn't expect to see you for another week, and I thought you were still busy guarding Princess Zelda," said Mipha. "I guess you couldn't stay away after what we did last week and that makes me even happier. Don't I get a kiss, sweetheart?"

He realized now he should have better prepared himself for this moment. For Mipha it was just a surprise visit from someone she was used to seeing. But for him, it was the culmination of a three-year-long dream come true, something he had prayed for, but something he thought would probably never happen. And so, when the opportunity arose, he had been way too eager to be with her and hadn't readied himself. He had let his emotions get away from him. Now Mipha noticed the tears in his eyes.

"Link, are you alright?" She reached out and held him at arm's length as she looked at him. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Mipha asked.

Link reached out and pulled her close, putting his arms around her. He leaned forward and kissed her. She returned the kiss but soon pulled back to look at him again and ask what was wrong.

"Mipha I've missed you so much. I'm sorry, I need a moment to control my emotions. Let me just hold you for now."

Her beauty in person was even better than his memory of her, and the old picture on his wall didn't do her justice either. Her soft clear amber eyes, smooth red skin, and gentle expression were irresistible, and he felt a longing he hadn't in years. After three years of loneliness, thinking more and more about her, the moment was too much for him. But he needed to get himself under control.

Mipha said nothing as they held each other again. Finally, she pulled back again and said "Something must be wrong. I'm happy to hear you missed me, but we were together only a week ago, and we've been apart longer than that, with all your knightly duties, and yet you never reacted like this upon your return. I can see you're not yourself. Has Princess Zelda done or said something to you? And why aren't you with her? Is everything okay?"

"Zelda is fine, and so am I. I can't explain why I'm so emotional this time. I just want you to know I love you and want so much to be with you," said Link.

"You know I love you too, and you know I feel the same. Don't you remember, sweetheart, you accepted the Zora Armor from me last week, but we agreed to leave it with my father for now? We said once our work preparing for Ganon is over we can tell my father and plan our future. And you should know my father fully supports how I feel," said Mipha.

That was it! The mystery was solved. He was here a week ago, Mipha had offered him the Zora Armor, and he had accepted it, but she left it with her father for now. That was the visit King Dorephan remembered and why Mipha returned home so happy but still in possession of the armor. Thank Hylia he had accepted it! Now he would have to be especially careful what he said.

"Mipha, do you mind putting off your work on Vah Ruta so we can spend today together? I will need to leave when you return home. And I'm afraid we need to stay around the reservoir if that's okay. I would like to make up for some lost time together."

"Alright sweetheart, of course, I don't mind! But I sense there's something important you're not telling me, and I'm worried. If you say you can't tell me, I'll accept that for now. But I don't like secrets between us, especially my husband to be," Mipha answered with a small frown.

With that Mipha hugged him again and they kissed.

"I suppose we can break for lunch at least," Mipha said finally. "I have some fish we can cook here. I wasn't expecting company, and knowing your appetite there probably isn't enough, but it's all I have."

"Whatever you have is fine. I have some food as well we can share," said Link.

They cooked lunch together, then ate.

"How are you getting on with your knightly duties? Are you and Zelda getting along any better?" asked Mipha.

"We're doing okay, much better than at the beginning. Zelda can be difficult at times. She's very frustrated she can't master her Sheikah Slate to open shrines or access her sealing powers. But I just do my duty and stay with her when I'm needed. She's in good hands today, and I'm just happy I could get away and spend time with you," said Link.

Mipha leaned forward and kissed him. Then she playfully gave him a small nip on his shoulder.

"Ouch!" Link exclaimed.

"Just something to remember me by when you return to your Hylian princess," Mipha teased. "And I'm not going to heal that either!" She cuddled against him again.

"You have certainly changed since last we met. I know you love me, you even finally told me so, but you were always so reserved and unemotional until then. I'm so happy you're more open about your feelings now," Mipha said. "Is it because we're engaged?"

Uh oh. He realized this could be a problem, since the next time she saw his past self he would undoubtedly revert to form and be less outgoing about his feelings. Was there any way to prepare her for this?

"Mipha, this is related to something I can't talk about yet, so please trust me. When next we see each other, I likely won't remember our conversation today. I know that's hard to understand, but please don't worry. I'm sorry this is so complicated and mysterious but please, please just trust me, and I promise this will all work out for us, okay?" Link said.

Mipha looked hard at him and frowned again. "I don't like this, Link. I really don't. I can't understand why you would forget about seeing me the next time I see you. You act like you're two different people."

This was going to be harder than he expected. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her during this brief time they had together. He groaned and buried his head in his hands.

Mipha could see how upset he was, and she didn't want to ruin their time together either. She took his head and raised it to hers, then kissed him.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I can see how troubled you are about this secret so I won't press you any further about it. I don't understand what's happening, but as long as we love each other, I know things will work out. Let's enjoy the afternoon together. You said we had to stay near the reservoir, but I assume we can swim around a bit? Let's swim out to Vah Ruta!" Mipha said.

"Um, okay. Just not beyond it. That would be nice," Link said. He could see the TimeShift Stone range included all of Vah Ruta since it wasn't there in his present time.

They held hands and walked to the water's edge. Link removed his tunic and trousers, and then she playfully pushed him into the water. Link remembered he enjoyed swimming with her, though of course what he called swimming was pitiful by Zora standards. She loved to swim loops around him while he struggled to swim ahead. Before they reached Vah Ruta, she swam over to him and held him in her arms while she floated. He wrapped his arms around her. She looked into his eyes and smiled.

"Are you happy now?" Mipha said. "I know I am."

"Happier than you can imagine," he said. "When you look at me like that and smile you're so beautiful and irresistible. I love you so much I want to spend every minute with you."

"You shall. We will always be together, and you will always have my heart," said Mipha.

"Water brings out the best in me," laughed Mipha. "But I know you like land. Let's finish swimming to Vah Ruta."

They reached Vah Ruta and climbed onto the trunk. Then she raised the trunk high above the lake. The view was breathtaking, with the early afternoon sun reflecting off the ice blue cliffs. They sat together, their arms around each other, and enjoyed the view. He needed to remember not to say anything that didn't make sense for the time period he was in, so he said little. Mipha was quiet as well, content to enjoy the time together. Now and then they would kiss. Soon it was getting late.

"There's a bed on the shore near the pier. Would you like to spend the night here? Or are you worried about returning to your Hylian princess?" she teased smiling.

"Nothing would make me happier than staying here with you," Link said.

"Father won't worry about me. I told him I would be staying overnight with Ruta," Mipha said.

They swam back together to the edge of the reservoir, Mipha helping by pulling him along. Link re-lit a fire, and they cooked what food remained for a light supper. Then they sat together at the edge of the pier, their legs dangling in the water and holding hands, watching the stars.

“It’s beautiful here,” said Link. “I love coming to the domain. It’s joyful, energetic and yet somehow tranquil at the same time. And even though I’m a Hylian, I feel comfortable and at home here.”

“Soon it will be your real home, sweetheart,” said Mipha as she squeezed his hand. “Our home. I know you’ll be happy here. We both will.”

“I’ll be happy wherever you are, sweetheart,” said Link. “And I can’t be happy anywhere else.”

He leaned over and kissed her. She smiled, that beautiful smile he loved so much.

“You’ve become so romantic!” laughed Mipha. “I never knew you had it in you. Even after knowing you for so long, you still surprise me. But it’s a nice surprise. I’ve longed to hear you say you loved me. You can never say it too much.”

“I do love you,” said Link “And I’ve grown to realize how much I love you. It just took me a lot longer than it should have.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. They were both getting tired.

“I wish you could sleep in water,” said Mipha. “It’s so much more comfortable. Water is soothing and you just float so peacefully.”

“I’ll try to learn,” laughed Link. “I’m sure I can figure out how to rest with my head above water. You know I’ll do anything to make you happy. Shall I try tonight?”

“No,” laughed Mipha. “After we’re married is time enough. I can tolerate sleeping here. I want to hold you, feel you in my arms. That’s more important to me right now.”

They walked to the bed, settled down in each other's arms, and quickly fell asleep. They awoke to another sunlit morning.

"It looks like another beautiful day," said Mipha as she stroked Link's hair. "You slept well. I think you're getting comfortable being with me now."

"Comfortable is not the word that comes to mind," laughed Link. "More excited and thrilled and happy."

"How about a short swim?" said Mipha.

They swam around the lake and then Mipha came over and held him in her arms.

"I do need to get back home now. I guess you can't come with me?" said Mipha.

"No, unfortunately," Link said.

The Timeshift Stone wouldn't reach that far, and he was under Purah's orders to avoid unnecessary interaction with people.

"Well, thank you and her highness for this unexpected visit, mysterious though it is. And I hope you will soon be able to tell me more about what's going on. But for now, be well, and I will see you at Lanayru Road in a few days. By the way, where will you be going now?" Mipha said.

And now as he said goodbye, he had to hold himself together. Who knew if he would ever see Mipha again? Would Purah ever get the Temple of Time to work? And even if she did, would he be allowed to use it? He wanted so much to tell Mipha what was going to happen and spare her the pain and suffering of dying in Vah Ruta. But Purah had warned him it was dangerous to tamper with events like that and outcomes were too unpredictable. Things could turn out worse. She could be killed in battle some other way and so could he. And he had promised not to tell her. He needed to keep his word and trust in Purah. How could he expect Goddess of Time Hylia to hear his prayers if he was false to his own word? The temptation passed.

"I need to journey back to Hateno Village. I'll be fine. I love you!" Link said.

With that, they kissed one more time.

"I love you too," Mipha said.

She waved once to him on her way back home, then watching her recede she suddenly disappeared from view. She had reached the limit of the Timeshift Stone, which meant nothing to her in the past but removed her time from his sight.

He went back to the Timeshift Stone, checked no one was around, struck it once, and with a flash everything returned to his present. It was late in the day, however, so he decided to remain in Zora's Domain and stay at the inn. He felt more joy than he had in years, and that his life had a purpose once again. He stopped by the Hylia shrine and thanked the Goddess in his prayers for letting him have time with Mipha once again. He just hoped his past self wouldn't mess things up, as he rubbed some tender teeth marks on his shoulder.


	5. Hateno Village and Hyrule Castle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link returns to Hateno Village and reports to Purah on his Timeshift stone experience. He then pays a visit to Hyrule Castle to thank Zelda, stopping for a short visit with Impa on the way.

Link awoke the next morning and began his journey back to Hateno Village. He was anxious to tell Purah what had happened in hopes it would further her research. He toyed with the idea of using the Timeshift Stone again but quickly decided against it. Things had worked out well the one time he used it, and to use it again would be selfish and risk something going wrong. Besides he did not want to do anything that might forfeit Purah's trust. So far, he hadn't noticed anything different in the present (except his shoulder), so with luck, the timeline was still intact, and no harm was done.

He returned to his house, freshened up, switched into the Zora armor, and headed toward the Hateno Ancient Tech lab. Purah and Symin again received him warmly.

"So, Link, tell us how the Timeshift Stone worked out for you," said Purah.

"It worked perfectly as far as I can tell," said Link. "Mipha and I were alone the whole time we were together on East Reservoir Lake. There were no interruptions by anyone else. I had a little problem controlling my emotions at the outset, and Mipha sensed things were not quite right. In fact, she said I acted like I was a different person. Which, given my memory loss, I am to some extent. But in the end she accepted me, and we got along as well as we used to."

"Given your memory issues, how do you know she accepted you as well as she used to?" asked Purah.

At this question, Link turned red and seemed at a loss for words. Purah noticed his embarrassment.

"Never mind, I think I understand," she said laughing. "You don't need to elaborate."

"This is encouraging news, and I think it means we are on the right track. Getting the Temple of Time to work is, in principle, like turning it into a giant Timeshift Stone that encompasses all of Hyrule in its range. Not to say that it is easy, but that's the concept at least."

"So, what happens next?" Link asked.

"For you, nothing," Purah answered. "For us, it means further work on understanding this technology. By the way, I have used the connection between the Sheikah Slate and the Sheikah Towers scattered around Hyrule to check for any timeline anomalies and am pleased to say I have not detected any. Thus, it appears your visit to the past did not have any significant effect on the present. We will let you know when we have something new to report."

He could tell they were eager to resume work, so he took his leave. He would have to wait again. But at least he had some new memories to enjoy.

After sleeping overnight at his house, he awoke in an optimistic mood and felt he owed Zelda his thanks for her permission to use the Timeshift Stone. He hadn't visited her in almost a month anyway, so this seemed like as good a time as any. Epona was stabled right outside his house, and after feeding and watering her, he saddled up and began the ride to Hyrule Castle. As usual on his rides from Hateno Village to Hyrule Castle, he would break his trip at Kakariko Village to rest Epona and get something to eat. He would usually check in on Impa as well if she weren't busy. He owed Impa so much for all her guidance and assistance when he first awoke memoryless from the shrine. It was only the awkwardness with Paya that made him uncomfortable.

The ride was pleasant enough as the weather was warm and sunny, no hint of rain. The roads were safe now, and Link relaxed in the saddle, letting Epona steer her way along at a modest pace and giving her a gentle pat of approval and affection now and then. There was no need to hurry.

As he rode, he thought about his visit with Mipha. So, they had actually become engaged a week earlier but planned to keep it a secret until the time was right until their work with Ganon was over. That was such a relief to know! He had wondered all this time if he had returned her feelings back then, and now he knew. It was some small comfort to know he had, that Mipha and he got to spend at least a couple of weeks knowing they were in love with each other and thinking of a future together. She was able to have two weeks of happiness before the end before everything went wrong. It wasn't much, but it was something. He wondered if he would ever recover the memory of how he had accepted the armor. Had she just offered him the armor on her own? Or had he opened up to her about his feelings for her first? Of course, if Purah's work on the Temple of Time ever succeeded, he could just ask her. That was his real hope.

Overall he thought the visit had gone very well, but he admonished himself again for not taking more time to think it through. He was all too eager and hadn't prepared himself well enough. As usual, he had rushed ahead, his bias toward action. But he had learned in dealing with enemies that planning was vitally important. It was important in dealing with friends as well. He should have done a better job keeping his emotions to himself. He nearly ruined the visit. Thank Hylia Mipha had let it all pass in the interest of being together. But after all this time thinking about her, trying every day to remember more about her, and falling back in love with her, it was a lot to ask. He usually worked hard not to show them, but he did have feelings after all.

When he reached Kakariko Village, he dismounted and left Epona to graze while he continued on into town. He strolled over to Impa's house first. There were still two guards on duty. Impa was a Yiga Clan target, though nothing much had been seen of any Yiga in quite some time. Both guards recognized him.

"Master Link, welcome! Lady Impa gave us instructions to admit you whenever you're here, so please go right on in."

"Thank you, Cado," said Link.

Link went up the steps and knocked on the door. He heard Impa's voice telling him to come in.

"Link, this is a nice surprise," said Impa. "Have you eaten yet? Paya and I were just about to have lunch. It's only some rice and fish, but you are most welcome. We have enough for three."

"Thank you, Impa, I would like that," said Link. "And hello, Paya. It's nice to see you."

"Hello, Master Link," said Paya. "It's nice to see you, too."

He noticed Paya had gotten over her stuttering in the past two years. Good for her! Paya handed Impa and him a bowl of rice and fish along with a set of chopsticks, and he thanked her. Then they sat down near Impa and Paya served them both tea, then herself.

"What brings you here, Link," said Impa.

"Just stopping on the way to the castle," said Link. "How are both of you?"

"I'm getting ancient," said Impa. "If my sister Purah ever perfects that rune of hers I'm ready to try it."

"I am well as always, Master Link," said Paya. "Thank you for asking."

"Speaking of my sister, she told me some of what has been happening," said Impa. "So, you traveled back to see Zora Champion Mipha."

"News certainly travels fast!" said Link. "Yes, I was able to see her by using a TimeShift Stone."

"You certainly are persistent," said Impa. "That's your nature. But I worry about Purah and her work. She can be a bit reckless sometimes. I warned her again about the danger of time travel, and she promised me she would be cautious. I gather you cannot yet find it in your heart to move on and accept the reality of what happened?"

"I'm sorry, but no, I can't," said Link. "Not unless I know I've tried everything and Dr. Purah says there is no hope. But it's not just for me. If the plan works all of Hyrule will be better off."

"I pray your heart will find peace, Master Link," said Paya. "You have done so much for all of us. You deserve now to live your life in happiness. I pray you will find that happiness soon."

"Thank you, Paya," said Link. "I appreciate your prayers and always have. It is kind of you to care what happens to me. And I hope your prayers are answered as well as were your prayers for our success."

They spoke some more of what had been happening. When the meal was finished, it was time to leave.

"Give my best wishes to Her Majesty," said Impa. "And, Link, I know I've said this before, but keep your hopes in check. It is fine to dream of wishes coming true, we all do that. But it is wise also to consider that not all wishes do come true in life. Think of all you have and do not dream your life away."

"And be well Master Link," said Paya.

"Thank you both," said Link. "I understand Impa. And I will say hello for you."

He found Epona, and they continued on toward Hyrule Castle. Impa hadn't been too hard on him this time. She used to be much more forceful about the need to move on from his obsession with Mipha. Perhaps the fact Purah was making progress on time travel had tempered her outlook.

When he reached the castle, he was admitted at once and shown to a private room while Her Majesty was informed he had arrived. A few minutes later Zelda entered the room. He dropped to one knee. He had a deep respect for the Hyrule Royal family, and he never wanted to presume upon their friendship to ignore that.

"Thank you, Link, for being so respectful, but please rise," said Zelda. "And now that you've shown the proper respect come here and give me a hug. I missed you! And if you don't call me Zelda I'm going to reinstate your service here until you learn!"

Link rose went over to her, and they hugged each other.

"It's good to see you, Zelda," said Link. "You're looking very well. Almost regal I would say."

"Almost?" Zelda laughed. "Well, I'm still working on it. Come, let's sit down and talk. I have to thank you for arriving when you did. It was a good excuse to leave a rather boring meeting."

"I do know you're busy Your, uh, Zelda, and I appreciate you making time for me," said Link as they sat down. "I especially wanted to thank you for permitting me to use Purah's Timeshift Stone. And Impa says hello."

"I know how much Mipha must mean to you, Link," said Zelda. "You have made that clear. And I don't know if Dr. Purah will ever accomplish what she's working on and convince us of its merits. I hoped your visit with Mipha would bring you some comfort and happiness and maybe even some closure. I still hope you can move on as the rest of us have. I'm only speaking to you as a friend now who cares for your well being. Frankly, I had misgivings about allowing you to use the stone. I was afraid it would only serve to make matters worse with you, make it harder to move on. But in the end, I felt that no matter what, it would bring you happiness, and you deserve some happiness after all you've been through. We all owe you so much. So, I could not deny you that."

"Thank you again," said Link. "It did bring me happiness. But it did also give me hope."

"Can you tell me what happened on your visit?" said Zelda. "Purah sent me a report that all had gone well, but no actual details."

"Well, um, I met Mipha at Ruta, and we talked and had lunch and swam around a bit," said Link.

"That's it?" said Zelda after waiting for Link to continue.

"Oh, she also said to thank you for letting me visit," said Link. "So, technically, I'm doing that now though she meant the 'you' of her time, of course."

"Yes, please go on," said Zelda after waiting some more.

Link started turning red.

"We did get a little personal, Zelda," said Link. "I feel funny talking about it with you."

"A little personal?" said Zelda. "You truly have a way with words sometimes! I hope that means you behaved like two people in love. And what's wrong with your shoulder? You keep rubbing it. Are you hurt?"

"Oh, um, no, it's nothing, Zelda," said Link. He had absentmindedly been rubbing where Mipha had given him her playful nip. It was something to remember her by, she said, the next time he returned to his Hylian Princess. And 103 years later it was doing just that

"It can't be nothing. It obviously bothers you," said Zelda. "Let me take a look. I insist."

Link pushed aside his tunic so Zelda could see the bruise. It wasn't bad, just a bit red. The skin wasn't broken. But the imprint on the skin looked like teeth marks.

"It's not too bad," said Zelda as she examined it. "But it looks like a bite. Did something attack you?"

"Not exactly. But, yes, we behaved like two people in love," said Link. "In fact, I learned we became engaged a week earlier. So you can see how serious we both were."

"I see," said Zelda. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry, but I hoped your visit would help you understand your relationship with her better. And I'm glad it did, no matter what the future holds. I know you've been spending a great deal of time trying to recover memories. I viewed your visit with her as a chance to learn more, and it succeeded in doing so."

"And I thank you," said Link. "No need to apologize. I just find it difficult to talk about."

"Then let's move on," said Zelda. "You're having dinner with me here and staying overnight in one of the guest rooms. I want to tell you about all the restoration work that's going on, and I want to learn all you've seen in your travels. Let's just have a good time together, as we used to all those years ago. Pretend we're together at one of those stables we used to stay at, sitting around the fire, eating Hylia knows what and talking late into the night. That's the 'you' I remember best and grew close to. I'm hoping the company and conversation will be like old times. But I promise the food will be better. And don't even think about turning me down."

"I wouldn't dream of it," laughed Link. "I miss those days, too, though I think we both tend to remember the good times and not all our worries. But yes, your appointed knight could use some fun conversation with his other Princess. And since when have I ever turned down a meal?"

The dinner was delicious. Zelda brought him up to date on all the construction going on, and he told her of his travels. People were pleased with Zelda as ruler, and he let her know that. Then, as it got later, they started to reminisce about their travels together, both before and after Ganon's defeat.

"I'm sorry you didn't see the stable owner's face, Lawdon, just after our victory when I got you a horse from Wetland Stable for our ride to Kakariko Village," laughed Link. "He noticed you weren't dressed for riding and asked who you were. I didn't know what else to say other than you were the Princess of Hyrule. His jaw dropped in amazement, then assumed I was joking and got angry. I wonder if he realized later I was telling the truth? Do you remember that?"

"I remember you got me a nice white horse," said Zelda. "But it was fun sharing a horse with you until we reached the stable. It brought us closer after a hundred years apart. I didn't mind. Do you remember the time we stayed at Gerudo Canyon Stable and the landlord thought you were my servant? I still feel bad about that. I was still a bit resentful of you back then."

"I remember, but I forgive you," laughed Link. "You gave me the hardest time near Gerudo Town, sneaking off. I was terrified something would happen to you."

"You cared for me that much?" said Zelda.

"No, I was just worried about all the trouble I would be in back at the castle," teased Link laughing.

"Very funny," laughed Zelda. "I know better. You were always there for me. I'll never forget that."

Finally, it was getting late. Link hugged Zelda and wished her goodnight. He wouldn't see her in the morning and would be heading home.

"Be well, Link," said Zelda. "And return soon. I always feel better after seeing you."

"I will," said Link. "You're a very special person in my life, and I'll never forget that either."

Then he went to his room and slept. Next morning he rode home but did not stop to see Impa on the way.


	6. Zora's Domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link continues with life as he hopes Dr. Purah will uncover the secrets to the Temple of Time. He makes another visit to Zora’s Domain and shares some news with King Dorephan and Sidon.

Link had been home for a few days after his trip to Hyrule Castle and had filled in his journal with everything that had happened. He cleaned his house and tended to the grounds, keeping everything neat and clean looking.

His meeting in the past with Mipha occupied a good deal of his mind since he returned home, and he kept blaming himself for not handling it better. He had let his emotions get the better of him and nearly ruined everything! Mipha clearly realized something was wrong. And what if she had pressed him for an explanation? To refuse to answer her would only make her angry and ruin the only chance he had to be with her, to throw away an opportunity beyond all his hopes and dreams over the past three years. But to tell her was even worse! Purah had said it could ruin everything by unpredictably changing the past. Fortunately, Mipha was as eager as he was to enjoy their unexpected day together and let it pass. He was very fortunate.

By the fifth day back at Hateno Village, he was feeling restless again. He used his house to settle himself after traveling and to catch up on his writing. It was a place to relax. But now he needed to travel. The question was where and he weighed his options. Hyrule Castle was out since he was just there. Rito Village was quite far, quite cold, and he didn't know anyone very well there. Teba and the Elder would welcome him out of courtesy for all he had done for them, but they weren't friends. Goron City was brutally hot and about the same situation, though he enjoyed Yunobo's youthful enthusiasm. Gerudo Town was something else! He still had to sneak in disguised as a woman. They wouldn't even make an exception in his case! Chief Riju was growing up and a bit more than a child now, though still quite young. She was very gracious toward him and said he was always welcome. But it was uncomfortable hiding behind a veil all day, especially at meals. And that was a pretty long journey as well. So, as was often the case, he ended up selecting Zora's Domain. It was close, and he had friends there. And he never tired of visiting it. He also had some new information to share with King Dorephan if given a chance.

So, the next morning he put on his Zora armor and headed off to Zora's Domain again. He had been there so many times Epona knew the way by heart. He sometimes wondered if Epona missed all the wandering he had done earlier. At least there was more variety for her back then. But he took good care of her, and she was as loyal a horse as you could ask for. When he finally got to the Domain, the guards still welcomed him as the hero who saved them all three years earlier.

His first stop there was a visit to Hylia's shrine to pray. Then he stopped in the plaza to spend a moment visiting Mipha's statue. Now that he had just seen her in person, he realized how much the statue failed to do her justice. It captured her in some ways, but not her real beauty or the warmth of her personality. No statue could do that, of course. He always carried a flower with him to lay by the statue, and he did that again now.

His next stop was to book a bed at the Seabed Inn. Usually, there was no problem doing that, though sometimes they would get more tourists than they expected and he had to camp out. As usual, Kodah was on duty as greeter while her husband Kayden handled the desk.

"Back again, Linny?" said Kodah as he approached the inn. "You're certainly one of our best customers! And, you're always welcome here."

"Hi Kodah," said Link. "Do I qualify for a discount yet?"

"Oh, come on, being so famous and with all the rupees you collect I know you can afford a bed for the night," laughed Kodah. "I'll arrange it with my husband, you don't need to register. Are you staying long?"

"I don't know yet," said Link. "I get restless when I'm home, and then I miss some company. And, besides Zelda, the only friends I have are here. So, it depends on how much time they have for me. How are you and the family?"

"Well," said Kodah. "I'm not sure I told you last time you were here, but our daughter Finley finally had her growth spurt a year or so ago. She had been getting very depressed that it took so long. And she finally moved on from her Hylian 'prince,' thank Nayru. Nothing against Hylians, of course, but we were not impressed with her pen pal."

"I understand," said Link. "He was a bit of a wimp, but I thought he might improve himself. I guess he didn't."

"So, still no one special in your life yet?" said Kodah. "My friends are all married now, so I don't know anyone to introduce you to. You haven't met a Hylian either? Or a Gerudo?"

"No, nobody," said Link. "I'm not really looking for a relationship at the moment. The Gerudo I've met think I'm too scrawny for them anyway. I still have feelings for Mipha. I know it sounds silly since it's been 103 years. But to me, it's been much less, and the more I remember about her, the more I need to learn. But you know all this from our past conversations. Nothing has changed."

"Yes, you're right," said Kodah. "I just keep hoping for your sake you will get some closure and move on. I do feel bad for you. You're a nice person, and you deserved better in life. But of course, so did Lady Mipha. Anyway, enjoy your visit."

Link wandered back to the plaza. There were the usual people shopping and children running around splashing in the fountain or playing. He didn't see anyone he knew. Out of courtesy he always left a message with one of the guards that he was here in case King Dorephan or Prince Sidon wished to see him. He was reluctant to impose on them, though he always enjoyed talking with them. He hoped they would have time for him because he wanted to pass along the information he had learned about the Zora Amor. They both treated him like family. If only he truly were!

He walked up the stairway to the west bridge and made his way across. Then he headed over to Veiled Falls. He sensed this had been a special place for them. One of his more vivid memories was waking up with his head on Mipha’s lap while they sat together here. He sat down on the rock that jutted out into the water and thought about Mipha. He didn't expect any new memories to pop up. That happened very seldom now, and usually only when something specific happened to trigger it. For now, he just went over the memories he had of her. At least he knew now that he had accepted the Zora Armor from her, and she said it had happened here. But he couldn't tell anyone how he knew. He had learned that by using the TimeShift Stone from Purah, and that was confidential. But he could let King Dorephan know by saying he had recovered a new memory, and that might make Mipha's father feel better. After a few more minutes he got up and headed back to the plaza. He planned to cook lunch for himself at the pot near the inn, but on the way back he ran into Gaddison on guard duty.

"Well, well," said Gaddison. "If it isn't the Hylian Hero, Link. Back again? You really do like it here, don't you?"

"Yes, I actually do," laughed Link. "This should have been my home. How are you?"

"Very well," said Gaddison. "I'm enjoying being a guard and serving under our captain, Bazz. It reminds me of our old gang. And with monsters gone now, the work is much easier. You still trying to remember your past?"

"Yes, as usual," said Link. "I know it sounds pointless."

"No, I understand," said Gaddison. "It's been hard on you, I know. Just remember you have friends here if you need us. We're always willing to spend time with you if you get lonely. Just expect some good-natured teasing now and then."

"I will," said Link. "And I'm getting used to all the teasing. We did have a lot of fun together as kids, didn't we?"

Just then a guard approached them.

"Excuse me, Master Link, His Majesty would like to speak with you as soon as you are available," said the guard.

"I can come now," said Link. "Bye, Gaddison."

The guard escorted him to the throne room, and both Sidon and King Dorephan were there.

"Ah, Link," said King Dorephan. "The guard told us you were here and I wanted to make sure I saw you and you felt welcome. You know we will always make time for you. Besides all you did for the Domain, you are a special person to our family."

Sidon came over and shook his hand.

"Yes, please never hesitate to let me know when you visit," said Sidon. "You are not imposing on us in any way."

"Thank you," said Link. "You always make me feel welcome, though I fear I'm wearing it out by visiting so often."

"Nonsense!" said King Dorephan. “You are always welcome here as often as you want.”

"I do have one important new memory to share with you, Your Majesty," said Link. "And it answers the question we puzzled over a few years ago. I now remember that Mipha offered me the Zora armor at Veiled Falls and I accepted it. But Mipha and I thought it best at the time to wait until after we were done with Ganon to tell everyone, so Mipha gave it to you for safekeeping."

"You remember this now? You are sure?" said King Dorephan. "That is marvelous news and greatly eases my mind! And it does indeed explain why Mipha returned from her visit with you so happy yet with the armor still in her possession. Now I feel even more that you are truly family, Link. Thank you for sharing that memory. It gladdens my heart to know Mipha's dream of a life with you came that much closer to coming true and she had two weeks of happiness before the end. But it is so sad you two never had a chance together."

"I had no doubt you would accept the armor if offered to you," said Sidon. "I am sure my sister knew of your feelings for her. You came to see her so often, how could she not?"

They invited him to join them for lunch, and they talked some more. He was glad he had been able to share the good news with them, and they accepted that it was just another recovered memory.

Afterward, he spent a couple of more days at the Domain, then started feeling guilty taking up so much of people's time. It was time to head back home.

This was the pattern of his life now. Visits to Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, and Zora's Domain, interspersed with days at home updating his journal and taking care of his house. Zelda and Impa and the others were right. He couldn't live this way forever. But he still had hopes Dr. Purah and Dr. Robbie would make progress. And until he knew for sure they couldn't, he would not give up. He was in too deep emotionally with Mipha now, forgive the water analogy. And stubbornness was one of his traits.


	7. Time Travel Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret to the Temple of Time is discovered and Queen Zelda heads a meeting with Link, Purah and Robbie to discuss their plans. They struggle with a means of convincing a skeptical audience in the past that a Link who claims to be from the future but lacks his memory is credible. Final plans are set.

It was almost a year before Dr. Purah next sent him a message to meet at the Lab. He realized Purah had difficulty leaving the lab since she looked like a little girl, so meetings with her always took place there. He was hopeful she had some encouraging news for him.

He arrived at the lab and found a seat. Purah came quickly to the point.

"We are now able to use the Temple of Time. But we need to meet with Queen Zelda and discuss whether we should and, if so, how. Our research indicates that it is only the Hyrule Hero with the Master Sword and those in his company who can pass through time, and only they will retain any memory of the timeline we are in today. In other words, were you to go back in time and change things, then the present time we are in now would cease to exist, and a new present would eventually occur that would be different from today. Only you would retain some memory of the alternate time we live in today, but it would be only a memory. And were you to tell anyone about the present time as it is today, they would consider it just a story of what might have been had things been different. The people in Hyrule would know nothing of it. As far as they would be concerned, it never happened. Do you understand all this, Link?" Purah asked.

"Yes, I think so," Link answered. All the more reason to write down as much as he could, since he was hopeful his notes would survive with him.

Purah went on, "There is another difference between the Temple of Time and the Timeshift Stones. There will only be one "you" in this scenario. When you go back in time you essentially take the place of the "you" that had existed then, though you will retain your memories of today, limited though some of them are," she added.

"Queen Zelda and Robbie have agreed to meet here in one week to discuss. You, of course, need to be here as well. We thought it best to avoid too much notice of our goings on, so the meeting will be secret. Please think about everything and be prepared to discuss next time," Purah told him.

He said good-bye and headed home. There was indeed much to think about. But on one point he had already made up his mind. Were the venture to succeed, he would not be returning to the present (whatever that would mean). He was going to stay with Mipha in the time he had initially lived, and should have lived, had he not died and been resurrected 100 years later. And if Dr. Purah's anti-aging rune could be perfected with the information he carried back with him, he hoped he could spend even longer with Mipha than a normal Hylian lifespan would allow.

The meeting at the Hateno Ancient Tech lab took place as scheduled. Queen Zelda came secretly, mostly traveling by night. Robbie along with his wife and research assistant, Jerrin, came as well. Symin had made some effort to clean up the lab so everyone could find a place to sit.

Purah led off the discussion.

“Welcome Your Majesty and everyone else to what is probably the most important meeting in our lives. Thanks to the help of Dr. Robbie, we have been able to restore the Temple of Time’s primary function,” said Purah. “Now you may well ask how we know that, since we haven’t all traveled off to a new timeline. We know it because of the readings we can detect from the Temple on the Sheikah Slate and because we tested it. It turns out the Sheikah Slate can be programmed to control the duration of time travel. We planted a small tree in the Temple and sent it back a year. Immediately after activating the device the tree was a year older. We performed some other experiments and are confident time travel will work. So, the question is, what should we do? If there is no objection I have asked Link to speak next to outline his plan.”

“Your Majesty and attendees,” said Link, “as you know I am not a gifted speaker by any means so I will come straight to the point. My proposal is that I travel back in time to before the Great Calamity, and with the benefit of the hindsight we have gained, alert everyone to Ganon’s plans. In that way we could save the Champions from defeat at the hands of Ganon’s blight creatures and achieve a much quicker victory over Ganon along the lines of our original plan. Hyrule would not suffer the devastation it did and many lives would be saved.”

Queen Zelda spoke up next.

“That is certainly an admirable outcome,” said Zelda. “But can we be sure of achieving it? For one thing, will your memory remain intact when you go back in time? That seems key to your plan's success.”

“Your Majesty,” said Dr. Purah, “my research indicates it is very likely Link’s memory, such as it is, will be retained. However, we also intend to include some written information with Link that will survive his time travel and which he can refer to if needed. I was also planning to send back some research we have conducted on a process to prevent Guardians from being taken over as well as some of my other research notes on my anti-aging rune. My hope is that my notes will prove useful to the Purah of that time period.”

“That makes good sense,” said Zelda. “So, one way or the other Link will have information on Ganon’s attack plans. How certain are we that your Guardian defense process will work?”

“Your Majesty,” said Purah, “we cannot be absolutely certain it will work since there is no practical way of testing it against an attack as strong as Ganon’s. But we have tested it as well as we could.”

“Is that critical to the success of Link’s mission?” asked Zelda.

“Your Majesty, I don’t think so,” said Link. “For the sake of argument assume the defense process Dr. Purah and Dr. Robbie developed fails. Then it becomes our top priority to defeat Ganon as quickly as possible. With the Champions forewarned about the corruption of their Divine Beasts they will not be trapped inside and killed. I will still have the Master Sword at that point. Working with each Champion we can recapture each Divine Beast one by one more easily than I could do it by myself. Then we tackle Ganon. There will be some destruction but not on the scale we lived through last time.”

“Alright,” said Zelda. “So, the plan is to hope the Guardian defense process works but be prepared if it doesn’t. But I have another question. I am trying to imagine how I or the other Champions would react if a person we all know, like Link, suddenly declares he is not who we think he is but from the future. And, moreover, this person suddenly can’t remember many things. I think our first inclination would be to believe he suffered a head injury of some kind and was delusional. I don’t think we would believe him. Can anyone think of a way to convince everyone of the truth?”

No one spoke for a few minutes.  Then Robbie spoke.

“That’s an excellent question, Your Majesty,” said Robbie. “As you said, we have two problems. The first is Link’s actual memory is lacking in many areas. So, compared to the Link of that time period it will appear he suffered some kind of brain damage. And that leads into the second problem. We need Link to be able to present some information to Princess Zelda and the Champions that they would already know to be true but Link could not have otherwise known. That is tricky. It can’t be anything that hasn’t happened yet in their timeline, but can’t be something Link could have known either. I can’t think of anything in that category.”

No one else could either. They couldn't reach a decision, and everyone decided to sleep on things and discuss with a fresh mind in the morning.

After a night's rest, the meeting resumed next morning.

"I have given some more thought as to how Link might be able to convince his audience of his story’s truth,” said Zelda. “One item of information that might help is Link's knowledge of what is in my and the other Champions' diaries. The diary entries had already been made by then, but Link would have had no way of knowing their contents at that time."

At this Link shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry about that. I wasn't just nosy: I thought anything I learned from those diaries could be helpful to my mission," said Link. There was an element of truth in that, if not perhaps the whole truth.

"I have no hard feelings about your reading my diary, and I don't think I or three of the Champions in the past will either. But I don't envy you your conversation with Mipha," said Zelda with a laugh.

"Oh," Link said, a small knot in his stomach forming. Now he was a bit sorry he hadn't followed her spirit's wishes when Mipha said: "Don't you dare read it!"

"Anyway, back to the main point," said Zelda. "I think knowledge of their diaries plus whatever else Link can remember would be enough to convince me and the others back then that being cautious about the Guardians and Divine Beasts was wise. So, let's assume Link can convince everyone. What are the next steps?"

"I think the plan will be fairly clear at that point, as I outlined yesterday," said Link. "We can try Purah's defense process. If that works, great. If not, I will join the other Champions in recapturing the Divine Beasts. Together we can make quick work of those disgusting blight creatures. And Mipha will help Princess Zelda understand how to access her sealing power. With the Champions in control of their Divine Beasts, Princess Zelda and I will then tackle Ganon as quickly as possible."

Robbie then spoke up. "Let's discuss this a bit more. Dr. Purah, I would like your opinion on a point I find unclear. Will Link's combat skills still be good enough when he travels to the past? Will he be physically the same as he was then, or instead as he is today? Will only his memory be intact?"

"Based on my researches Link should be physically as he was then," said Purah. "But, Link, it wouldn't hurt to be sure and brush up on your combat skills in the interim, just in case. How long would you need to get back up to form?"

"Not very long," Link said. "I have been trying to keep myself in shape anyway. I think two weeks of intense training would put me back in top form." He planned to do his best to make sure his skills were as good as ever.

“The next point we need to consider,” said Robbie, “is at what point in the past Link should be sent. I have some thoughts on this matter. Clearly, it needs to be enough time before the Great Calamity to warn Princess Zelda and the Champions and prepare the new strategy. But I am also concerned about introducing unintended changes to the timeline if Link travels back too much further. The more interaction he has with people there the more chance of something going wrong. So, I would like him to be sent as close to the date of the Great Calamity as possible.”

“Would one week be sufficient, do you think” asked Purah.

“I think so,” said Link. “I will meet with Princess Zelda to convene a meeting of the Champions as soon as I get there. That should be enough time to convene a meeting and make new plans.”

“One last point,” said Dr. Purah. “Unlike the Timeshift Stone process, when Link goes back in time he will take the place of the Link of that time period, not create a duplicate of himself.  So, the Link of that period will in essence disappear. Therefore, it would be desirable for no one to witness that, so I recommend Link be sent back late at night when the Link of the past is likely alone and asleep."

Finally, they reached a decision. He would arrive late in the evening at the Temple of Time one week before the Great Calamity.

After two weeks of intense combat training, he was ready and eager to go.


	8. Arrival In The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link arrives in the past and Princess Zelda convenes a meeting of all the Champions to discuss what to do in light of this startling turn of events. Mipha struggles with her feelings as she realizes the Link she knew and loved is gone, replaced by a Link who remembers very little of her.

As planned Link arrived in the past late in the evening at the Temple of Time. He assumed his alter ego had just vanished from Hyrule. It was quiet, and no one saw him. He lit a fire and camped for the rest of the night. Next morning, he managed to capture a horse, then rode to Hyrule Castle. He asked to speak privately with Princess Zelda.

"What is it Link? I am rather busy this morning" Zelda said with annoyance.

"Your Highness, I urgently need to speak to you about our plan to defeat Calamity Ganon. And please hear me out. I know this will be challenging for you to accept, but I am not the same Link you know. I have traveled back in time from over one hundred years in the future, a future in which our plan failed," said Link.

"Is this some kind of joke?" said Zelda. "What are your talking about?"

"No. It's not a joke. Our plan to defeat Calamity Ganon is flawed. With knowledge gained from the Yiga Clan, Ganon intends to take over the Divine Beasts and Guardians. He will turn these machines against us and kill all the Champions. We need to revise our plan. I can try to convince you I am from the future by telling you some things I couldn't otherwise know. For example, I can quote some parts of your diary. You know there is no way I could have gained access to it, given that it's kept locked up and I am not permitted access. I can also quote parts of the Champions' diaries as well."

He then quoted a section of her diary. Zelda turned red, and he sensed she was trying hard to control her temper: something he sincerely hoped she would succeed in doing. Eventually, she must have realized the matter at hand outweighed her embarrassment. She began to accept what he said must be true.

“Alright Link,” she said. “I assume I still call you that, right?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” said Link. “I am actually the same person but it’s a long story.”

“You can call me Zelda when we’re alone,” she said. “Alright, I need to convene a meeting of the four Champions as soon as possible. I also need to discuss this with my father. You should stay here at the castle until then. Please keep this information to yourself for now.”

Zelda arranged for an emergency meeting of the Champions and two days later they were all assembled at the Castle. Link was seated next to Zelda in a circle with the four Champions. Zelda had kept Link away from them so everyone could hear his story at the same time. So, he had not had any opportunity to speak with Mipha.

Zelda began the meeting. "I have called us all together for this urgent meeting because something extraordinary has occurred. In a moment I will ask Link to explain, but I must warn you first that what he is going to tell us will be difficult to believe. So, I ask that you please let him fully explain and not interrupt. Link, please go ahead."

He stood up and looked around the room at the four Champions: Daruk, Urbosa, Revali and Mipha, his friends and colleagues from his past. He was by no means a gifted public speaker, but knew he needed to convince everyone of the truth of what he was about to say.

"As Princess Zelda said, what I am about to tell you will be difficult for you to believe. I am not exactly the same Link you know, though I am the same person. I have used the Temple of Time to return here from over one hundred years in the future after being in a state of healing slumber for one hundred years in the Shrine of Resurrection."

There was some murmuring from the group, but Zelda quieted the room by repeating her request to please hear him out, and Link continued on.

"I will attempt to prove that to you in a few minutes, but first let me explain what will happen if we do not alter our plans. Calamity Ganon will emerge in 5 days. However, he has found the ability to infect the Guardians and Divine Beasts with his malice and take control of them. He has also prepared powerful mutations of himself to take control of the Divine Beasts. What happened in the timeline I came from is that Ganon initially succeeded. His mutations infected the Divine Beasts and killed each of you. I myself was also dying from battling Guardians while trying to protect Princess Zelda. Fortunately, at the last minute, Princess Zelda was able to achieve her power and destroy the field of Guardians. Purah and Robbie then took me to the Shrine of Resurrection where I lay for 100 years before awakening. All this time Princess Zelda was able to seal herself and Ganon in Hyrule Castle. I was eventually able to recover the Master Sword and free the Divine Beasts, and your spirits trapped within them, by destroying Ganon's mutations. Finally, Zelda and I finished Calamity Ganon's destruction in Hyrule Field. However, many parts of Hyrule were destroyed and many lives lost in the meantime. With this knowledge, and possibly an experimental process invented by Dr. Purah and Dr. Robbie to prevent losing control of the Divine Beasts, we can thwart Ganon's plans and save Hyrule."

Revali had been shifting in his seat all this time, looking away and smirking through most of Link's speech. Finally, sensing Link had come to a stopping point, he stood up and spoke. "So, in the future you describe, all of us Champions are going to be utter failures and you alone emerge as the great hero! I don't believe this and have never heard such nonsense in my life. I for one would never be defeated, even by Ganon himself, let alone one of his minions. What proof do you have of this fairy tale?"

He knew something like this was coming. "It's difficult for me to prove this directly since what I am telling you hasn't happened yet from your perspective. So, I need to share information about something that has already occurred and you know about, but I myself couldn't know about unless I came from the future. The other problem, which some of you may say sounds too convenient (at this he glanced at Revali), is that when I awoke from the Shrine of Resurrection I had complete amnesia. I have been struggling ever since to recover my memories but am still missing most of them. So, the only thing we thought might help convince you is my knowledge of your diaries, or in Daruk's case what he likes to call his training manual. As you know, the Link you knew would never have had a chance to read those documents, but I can quote some passages from them," Link said.

He quoted a passage or two from each of their diaries. The room was quiet. Urbosa was the first to speak. "That is exactly what I wrote, and I don't see how you could know that unless you are telling the truth. I for one believe you," said Urbosa. Daruk agreed with her. Mipha lowered her head, looking somewhat sad and embarrassed, and only said "I believe you as well."

Revali then spoke up again. "Well, you may be right about the other three, but I never wrote any of the things you mentioned, so someone has misrepresented me. However, I never placed a lot of confidence in those mechanical devices to defend us anyway, so I agree it would be wise to consider updating our plans."

“Alright,” said Zelda. “It’s getting late and we need fresh minds. Let’s adjourn our meeting until tomorrow morning.”

 Revali immediately left for his room, but Daruk and Urbosa came over to speak with Link. He said how happy he was to see them both again, but his mind was elsewhere. He kept glancing around the room as they spoke, unsuccessfully looking for Mipha. He needed to talk with her.

"Urbosa and Daruk, I'm sorry, I do want to speak with you further, but right now I need to talk with Mipha if I can find her," said Link.

Urbosa smiled at him, saying "Yes, that might be a good idea. Especially after that diary revelation. Good luck!"

He went outside and finally found Mipha walking alone near one of the fountains in the courtyard. She looked up to see him but said nothing.

"Mipha, can I speak with you? I'm sorry I read your diary and embarrassed you. You have to understand that at the time that happened you were gone, and so was my memory. In fact, much of my memory of our time together is still gone. I wanted to learn anything I could about you. Your father permitted me to read it and thought you would forgive me. I hope he was right."

"I'm embarrassed, but I'm sure I'll get over it. We all have bigger things to worry about right now. Anyway, that's not what's bothering me," Mipha said. She paused for a moment and looked him in the eyes. "So, my meeting a few days ago at Vah Ruta was with you, wasn't it?" Mipha asked.

"Yes. I couldn't tell you then. I used a Timeshift Stone to travel back in time. At that point, we weren't sure Purah and Robbie could get the Temple of Time to work again and using a Timeshift Stone was part of their research. I was forbidden to discuss anything about the future with you," Link said. "The chance to be with you again after almost three years of having lost you meant everything to me. I'm sorry I couldn't be fully truthful with you about it."

"I sensed something was different. My feelings are a little confused right now. I am in love with the Link I knew, but are you truly the Link I know and love? You don't even remember much of our time together. I need some time to deal with this," said Mipha.

"Mipha, I hope I am, or can come to be, the Link you love. But I can promise you that I am the Link who loves you," said Link. "My feelings for you are as strong as ever."

"I’m sorry, Link, I need some time. Good night," said Mipha. She walked off to return to her room at the Castle.

Next morning Mipha took Zelda aside before the meeting started.

"Your Highness," said Mipha, "may I have a word?"

"Of course, Mipha," said Zelda.

"I don't know if this will help you access your power," said Mipha, "but I access mine by thinking of a person I love. I have been shy about telling you this because the person I think about is Link. But my feelings are a bit confused right now. I hope it still works."

"Thank you for telling me," said Zelda. "I know that wasn't easy for you. You know Link and I are together so much, and you probably feel I am competing with you for Link's feelings. I will try what you suggested."

Zelda concentrated and thought back to the time Link saved her from a Yiga Clan ambush. She was overcome with feelings for him then. She wasn't sure it was love, but it was close enough. She could feel a power rising within her. She raised her right hand, and the golden image of the Triforce glowed clearly on the back of her palm. If she didn't stop, she would release a burst of energy that would overwhelm any nearby evil. She lowered her hand. Her power would work when needed.

"Thank you, Mipha," said Zelda. "You may have just saved us all."

The meeting resumed, and there was agreement that they should accept Link's information as accurate. Therefore the topic of today's discussion would be implementing a revised plan that did not count on controlling the Guardians and Divine Beasts upon Ganon's attack.

As a first step, the Sheikah staff would be ordered to deactivate and disable all the Guardians. While the original plan was to use the Guardians against Ganon, it was too risky now to leave them in working order.

“That is a wise precaution,” said Link. “But Ganon was able to control other Guardians that emerged from beneath Hyrule Castle, so we need to be aware of that risk as well.”

Secondly, they would evacuate Hyrule Castle and the nearby area, so Ganon would end up attacking an empty building.

The next step needed to happen quickly, but they would enter each Divine Beast and reprogram the central terminal using Dr. Purah's defense rune. Then they would leave the Divine Beast empty, and each Champion would wait nearby.

Link would remain with the appointed Champion of one of the Divine Beasts. They chose Vah Ruta as the first one, which made Link happy since saving Mipha was his primary personal objective. They would then wait for Ganon's attack.

If the Champions saw that Purah's defense worked, then they could safely enter their Divine Beast and use it to destroy the creature Ganon had sent to occupy it. If Purah's program did not work, then Link and Mipha would enter Vah Ruta and together take control of it. When they accomplished this, Mipha would remain with Vah Ruta. Then Link would then travel to the other three Divine Beasts as quickly as possible and repeat the process. Revali needed some convincing, but in the end, Zelda was firm, reminding him that her father had appointed her the leader of the Champions: if Purah's defense failed no Champion was to enter their Divine Beast until Link arrived. In the meantime, Zelda would wait for Ganon near Hyrule Castle to be ready when it was time to use her power to seal him. Once all the Divine Beasts were under their control, Link would join Zelda in confronting Ganon at Hyrule Castle. The Divine Beasts would aid in the attack from a distance. Then they would all finally put an end to Ganon.

The meeting adjourned, and everyone got busy. There was a lot to do and only four days to do it in.


	9. Victory and Celebration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule is victorious though Link’s battle with one of Ganon’s creations does not go as planned. Link works to recover more of his memory and convince Mipha he really is the same person she knew and loved.

Mipha and Link waited on the northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake. Today was the day Ganon would attack.

"I'm going to board Ruta and activate the central terminal with Purah's defense program as we discussed," said Mipha.

"And I'm coming with you," said Link. "I don't want to take any chances our timing is off, and Ganon's blight creature arrives with you there alone. I worked very hard to get us to this position, and I am not going to jeopardize everything now."

"Alright," said Mipha. "I'll pull you along."

Mipha and Link dove into the water and Mipha swam to Ruta, pulling Link with one arm. They both climbed aboard, and as soon as they entered, Link shuddered. He remembered Ruta from four years ago in his timeline, and it made him feel sick inside. The last time he was here it was crawling with malice and Guardian Scouts. But that was not what bothered him. Malice and Guardian Scouts were nothing to be afraid of. What bothered him was what he had heard and the scene that played out just before he left Ruta that last time.

Ruta had been the first Divine Beast he sought to take back from Ganon's control, and he didn't know what to expect. He had thought Prince Sidon would work together with him on restoring Ruta. And Sidon had indeed worked with him to overcome Ruta's outer defenses. But after Ruta's defenses were shut down, Sidon had given him only words of encouragement to deal with the inside of Ruta. Sidon looked fearful, seemingly anxious to distance himself from Ruta and wait for Link back at the Domain. Link had been left there all alone. He activated the terminal at the entrance and then heard a familiar voice in his head. "You're here!" she had said, and her tone was one of surprise and happiness. He recognized that voice from his memory of her. It was Mipha.

After that, her voice guided and encouraged him through the places he needed to go to take back control of Ruta. He thought she must be alive after all, as her father had hoped, trapped somewhere, but able to communicate with him through Ruta somehow. Finally, he activated the last terminal and had his battle with Waterblight Ganon. He was victorious! He had defeated their enemy. Now, where was Mipha? But before he could savor his victory and search for her, he heard her voice once again. "Hello, Link," she had said. And then he saw her spirit, and he realized that what everyone had feared was true: Mipha was dead. He stood speechless, in shock, as he listened to her and received her gift of healing. He had wanted to speak with her then, to ask her things, but he never got the chance. Through some magic he found himself disappearing. And when he reappeared, he was outside Ruta, and she was gone. To him, Ruta was haunted.

Now it was eerily quiet inside Ruta, and the sound of their footsteps in the water echoed off the walls of this cavernous device. The only other sound was the splash of water flowing in another room. They both started walking to the central terminal at the rear of the bottom floor. Mipha seemed quite calm, totally at ease with her Divine Beast. But Link remained on edge. He realized it didn't make sense, but muscle memory of the time he spent inside Ruta made him wary. He reached back and took comfort in feeling his sword was handy.

Finally, they reached the central terminal. Mipha started working with it and activated Purah's defense system.

"Alright, Purah's system is activated," said Mipha.

"I just said a short prayer to Hylia that it works," said Link. "Let's get out of here now."

They retraced their steps to Ruta's entrance, then dove into the water and swam back to the northwest pier.

"So now we wait," said Link.

"You were very nervous inside Ruta," said Mipha. "You shouldn't be afraid of her."

"It wasn't really fear," said Link. "It was the terrible memories I have of the last time I was there."

"I wish I could cure your mind. Do you want to talk about it?" asked Mipha.

"I do, and I don't," said Link. "For someone with so many memory problems, I wish this was one I could forget. In my original timeline, Ruta was the last time you spoke to me face to face, or rather your spirit did. I carried that heartbreak with me all this time. But that hasn't happened now and, with Hylia's help, I will do everything in my power to make sure it never does."

Mipha and Link continued to wait on the pier.

"What happens next?" asked Mipha.

"From what I recall, Ganon emerges from under Hyrule Castle, and waves of purple malice spew out across Hyrule infecting all the Guardians and Divine Beasts. Four horrible creatures of his take over the Divine Beasts. We should be able to see what happens to Ruta from here," said Link.

"What is the creature Ganon sends to Ruta like?" asked Mipha.

"It's a disgusting looking monstrosity with one eye that can shoot an energy beam. It also wields a giant spear and can summon blocks of ice," said Link.

"Are you sure you can handle it? Do you need me to help?" asked Mipha.

"I can handle it alone," said Link. "I've practiced destroying it many times. If it cannot enter Ruta then I need you to take over Ruta. If it can enter Ruta, then you and I will battle it together."

They waited in silence. Suddenly there was a distant roaring sound. The sky darkened, and waves of purple malice could be seen shooting through the air, originating from west of them, the direction of Hyrule Castle. Ganon's attack had begun.

A large mass of purple malice streaked from the sky toward them. It collided with Ruta, but instead of infecting it as the creature expected, it bounced off and landed in the lake. Then it rose up out of the water with a horrible screeching sound and looked around.

"It looks like Purah's defense is working," shouted Link above the noise.

"I need to get back inside Ruta," said Mipha.

"Yes," said Link, "but I am not letting you get anywhere near that thing. I'll distract it by luring it closer to land here. When I have its full attention, you swim around the side and approach Ruta out of sight of that thing. Promise me you'll be safe."

"I promise," said Mipha. "Stay safe yourself."

Link remembered Waterblight Ganon very well. He had practiced defeating it several times, and he was better armed now than he was then. He started off by shooting it in the eye with some arrows. The creature saw him now and approached closer to land. It swung its massive spear at Link, but Link was able to dodge it. Then Link launched some more arrows at it as he moved further back on the pier out of reach.

The creature seemed reluctant to follow Link, though. It must be under Ganon's orders to infect Ruta and was struggling to know what to do. Hence it stayed near Ruta. Link could not reach it out on the water with his sword, but he had plenty of arrows. Mipha was nowhere to be seen. She must be swimming underwater. Link let loose with a barrage of bomb arrows. That got the creature's attention. It started forming ice blocks and hurling them at Link. He did not have a Sheikah Slate or any defensive runes, so he relied on arrows to destroy the blocks. Then he again attacked the creature with a barrage of bomb arrows. He sensed it was weakening.

Waterblight Ganon approached closer to the pier and then began to energize its laser beam. Link quickly put away his bow and prepared his shield to deflect the ray back. But his timing was off, and the beam knocked him to the ground, searing his shoulder. He groaned, his shoulder burning from the pain. He could hear the creature energizing its weapon again for another strike. He needed to get up and get his shield in position to deflect it. But he was still struggling to his feet, the pain in his shoulder making it hard to push himself up. If he couldn't get up in time he would have to try diving out of the way at the last second. He could hear the pitch of the energy beam increasing as it approached firing.

Suddenly there was another sound, the sound of a giant machine in motion. Ruta's head was turning to face Waterblight Ganon. The noise distracted the creature as well. It turned to look when Ruta fired a powerful beam of blue energy. The ray struck Waterblight Ganon, and it howled with pain. The beam continued to pour down onto the creature until, with a final horrible scream, the creature dissolved into a purple ball and then collapsed into nothingness. Ruta's beam stopped, and the lake was quiet again.

Link saw Mipha emerge from Ruta. She dove into the water, and he never saw anyone swim so fast. She was by his side in a matter of seconds.

"You're hurt," said Mipha. "Let me help you."

Mipha's hand glowed with her healing power as she waved it across the ugly burn marks on his shoulder. Soon the wound was healed, and the scars were gone.

"Thank you, Mipha," said Link. "I'm glad you can still do that."

"So am I," said Mipha. "I wasn't sure I could."

"We did it," said Link. "Purah's defense worked. You need to lock Ruta's beam onto Hyrule Castle. I hope the other Champions are having equal success. But I need to go to Hyrule Castle now so Princess Zelda and I can finish this."

"Yes, I understand," said Mipha. "And I will get Ruta in position to aid you. I pray Hylia will protect you and return you safely."

The details of Zelda, Link and the Champions defeat of Ganon are recorded in the annals of Hyrule history, so Link was not going to repeat any more of it here in his notes. Suffice it to say that with the knowledge Link brought back in time with him they were successful. Purah's defensive rune worked, and Ganon and the Yiga Clan ended up being the ones surprised.

When it was over, Zelda and Link stood together in Hyrule Field, any residual purple malice gradually disappearing from land and sky. Zelda turned to Link and smiled. Then they hugged each other and congratulated one another. Their plan had worked and Hyrule was safe. It was time to restore order and then celebrate.

It was a week later that King Rhoam presided over a grand celebration at Hyrule Castle. Banners blew in the breeze and people crowded Castle Town for the party. The Champions were all given a place of honor on the platform where King Rhoam spoke, thanking them for their heroic efforts. Hyrule was now at peace, and they needn't worry about Ganon for a long time.

Each village also had a celebration honoring their individual Champion. Link could not attend all of them, so he chose the one at Zora's Domain. Mipha was obviously the star of the ceremony, as King Dorephan praised his daughter for her role in Ganon's defeat. Link remained in the audience applauding for her, but after the ceremony, she did not stop to speak with him but instead left to be with her family. She had clearly not come to terms with who he was or come to accept him as the person she knew and loved.

Looking back this was probably the hardest time for him. He had done all he could to be together with Mipha, but he could not claim he was the same person she had been with before the time travel event. He had been that person once, 104 years ago in his reckoning of time. But that person no longer existed and he had taken his place. He had always naively assumed that Mipha would accept him as if nothing happened.

But what if she couldn't accept him? He realized now it was a lot to ask of her, to overlook his memory loss of all their time together. And how did she feel about his Timeshift Stone visit with her at Ruta? Had that been wrong of him, to pretend he was the person she had just been with a week before? He was that person in a sense, but he couldn't even remember what had happened. Did she look back at that visit now as if she had been violated, like substituting a twin brother for a husband? He had wanted to be honest with her then, but Purah had forbidden it. Purah had looked on his visit with her as an experiment, a test of the Timeshift Stone technology on the way to restoring the Temple of Time. But it was much more than an experiment to him. It was a chance to be with the person he loved. But how did she feel about all this now? What a cruel joke it would be if he ended up alone again.

Link returned to Hyrule Castle and since Princess Zelda no longer needed a personal guardian, he obtained King Rhoam's permission to leave his duties. He returned to Zora's Domain where he hoped he could be together with Mipha again at some point.

Mipha continued to have a good deal of responsibility as the Champion and future leader. While combat training was no longer a priority, she was very active in the Zora government, and committee meetings consumed a good deal of her time each day. She also liked to spend some time with her little brother, Sidon.

Link, of course, still lacked many memories of the past, and people believed this was due to injuries he suffered in his final battles with Ganon. Only those few people he had explained his story to knew the truth. He continued to wander around near the Domain alone, trying to recover his memories, and speaking to whomever he could. But he really wasn't getting anywhere. Finally, he approached Mipha after she had finished a meeting with her father.

"Your Highness, Princess Mipha, I know you are very busy, but can I speak with you?" said Link.

"Of course," said Mipha with a smile. "And simply Mipha is fine."

"I know you still feel I am not the same person you knew, and it doesn't help that my memory of our time together is so lacking. But I really am the same person. When you are not too busy would you be willing to set aside any spare time you have to help me recover my memories? I cannot give up on what I know we once had," Link said.

Mipha thought for a moment. "Alright, let's spend an hour each day together to work on this. We can visit different places, and I will help you try to remember. We can see what happens. Let's start tomorrow."

"Thank you!" said Link.

Next morning Mipha met Link in the plaza.

"I think we will work our way chronologically," said Mipha. "When you were very young, you used to have some Zora playmates, and I thought I would help you learn to swim. Let's walk over to East Reservoir Lake, and I will show you where it happened. Perhaps it will help your recollection."

They walked over to the northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake.

"It was right here," said Mipha. "It took a lot of effort for me to figure out how best to have you swim. You lack fins and webbed feet. I held you as you learned to kick and pull yourself through the water. Eventually, we figured it out together how best to have you swim. Do you remember any of that?"

"No, I'm sorry, I don't," said Link.

"Well, we will keep trying," said Mipha. "We have time for one more location today.

Mipha took Link to a place where she said he had fallen while climbing and she healed him. He told her he couldn't remember that, either.

"Well, I am not surprised at that," laughed Mipha. "There were many times I healed you, and it would be hard to pick out one. I remember this one because of how brave you were. It was quite a bad bruise, but you never cried. Well, that is all I have time for today. We can continue tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mipha, it means a lot to me you taking time to do this," said Link.

So, each day they would travel to a different location around Zora's Domain, and Mipha would tell him some things they had done together there. Usually whatever she told him was brand new information to him. Sometimes she brought up something he actually remembered on his own, and his excitement at the accomplishment was like a schoolboy proud of giving the right answer in class. She would laugh then, and say, "See, we're making progress!"

He kept hoping she would come to accept him as before but understood he couldn't rush things: she had to do all this on her own terms, in her own time and her own way. Her kindness and caring nature made her want to help him.

It was after the first week or so of doing this together that he noticed a small change in her mannerism. She started to call him Link again. Until then she had avoided using his name at all as if it really wasn't his. He thought her reliving their times together was helping her as much as it was helping him. And on the few occasions that he did remember something she told him about, he felt he was helping break down a wall in her attitude toward him. That it helped her convince herself that he really was the same person.

He remembered the turning point. He was on one of his walks with Mipha in the area around Zora's Domain, and they ended up at the bottom of Veiled Falls. There was a pool of water at the base of the waterfall and grass and trees in the area around it. It was close to the Domain but far enough away to offer some privacy. It was just the kind of place two lovers might choose to be alone together.

"Let's stop here, Link," said Mipha. "Come, sit with me."

He sat down beside her on a large rock jutting into the water. It was a beautiful day as the waterfall threw up a foamy white spray and the sun sparkled on the water.

"Do you remember anything at all about this place and what it meant for us?" asked Mipha.

"I'm sorry, no. I wish I could. It's a beautiful location. Can you tell me?" asked Link.

"It's where we kissed for the first time and shared our feelings for each other," said Mipha.

She smiled gently, her golden eyes looking straight into his. He looked back into her eyes and started feeling warm. She looked irresistible.

"Mipha, can we start again? I hope you know it's really me. I love you so much," said Link.

He leaned forward and kissed her. She returned his kiss, and they embraced.

"I love you too. I know it really is you after all. Let's go back to the Domain now. There's something I would like to give you."

The held hands as they walked back to Zora's Domain and then to an area near the throne room. Mipha told him to wait, while she went back and returned in a few minutes with a bundle.

"Link, I want you to have this, and I hope you will accept it," said Mipha.

She handed him the bundle. He unwrapped it and saw a finely crafted set of blue and silver Zora armor. It was indeed a work of art. And, of course, he knew exactly what it meant.

"You don't need to say anything. I know what this means, and you've made me happier than you know. Of course, I accept it, Mipha, and I will always cherish it and you," said Link.

He reached forward, they embraced and kissed with a passion he did remember.

"You obviously don't remember, but this is the second time you accepted this Armor. The first time was at Veiled Falls about a week before you showed up at Ruta as a different person with no memory. I'm glad you haven't changed your mind! But this is the last time you're going to put me through all this drama," Mipha laughed.

"I promise!" laughed Link. "I think our relationship has had enough drama to last a lifetime. Should we be thinking about a wedding date now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The full story of what happened the first time Mipha offered Link the Zora Armor is told in the story “Memories Of Hyrule Past” in the chapter titled “Mipha’s Love”.


	10. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their dreams come true as Mipha and Link finally marry. Zelda and the Champions each speak at their wedding and King Dorephan and Sidon welcome Link to the family. Link has a special moment with Princess Zelda on the dance floor as they reflect on what they did together. Mipha and Link share their thoughts about their journey to this point in their lives and all it took to get here before they leave for their honeymoon at Lurelin Village.

Link sat down at the table and began writing. It was time to finish these notes. He had written them to preserve his memories of the events that had happened in the timeline in which he wrote them. He was writing this last part for completeness in telling the story.

The wedding day finally came. The Champions all attended as did Princess Zelda. Kapson, the Zora priest, was to perform the ceremony. Link thought it a happy irony that the wedding service was taking place where Mipha's memorial statue had stood in his former timeline. The plaza was quite crowded: a royal wedding didn't happen very often. Zelda and the other Champions stood near the front. Link wore the full Zora armor, and his beautiful princess fiancée wore her Zora headdress.

Zora wedding customs were somewhat similar to Hylian, but not quite so formal. There was no exchange of rings, and there was no wedding party. Zoras loved music, so there would be some of that, and of course, there were marriage vows.

Link stood in the plaza before Kapson awaiting Mipha's entrance. The Zora musicians played a song which Link took to be their equivalent of a wedding march, and Mipha and her father, King Dorephan, advanced across the plaza. As they walked past the audience, the Zoras bowed their head in respect for the King. Zoras did not typically kneel except in certain formal situations. Eventually, King Dorephan walked Mipha to Link and then stepped aside. 

Link glanced over at Mipha, and she looked back and gave him a quick smile. If he thought she looked beautiful before, she looked radiant now. Kapson asked the crowd for silence then began the ceremony. 

"It is my great honor and pleasure to perform this ceremony that will seal before Nayru the marriage of Lady Mipha and Link. I ask all of you in the audience to remain silent while I ask Link and Lady Mipha to repeat the marriage oath," said Kapson. 

Link went first. 

_"I, Link, do swear before Nayru and all those present to take Mipha to be my wife and to be a faithful and loving husband to her as long as we both shall live."_

Next, it was Mipha's turn.

_"I, Mipha, do swear before Nayru and all those present to take Link to be my husband and to be a faithful and loving wife to him as long as we both shall live."_

"By the authority granted to me as Zora priest, I now pronounce Lady Mipha and Link to be married before Nayru and the Zora Kingdom," said Kapson. 

Link reached over and kissed Mipha while the crowd erupted in applause. 

"Mipha, I have never been happier than this moment. I love you so much," said Link. 

"I'm glad you found some words," laughed Mipha. "But I am the happiest I have ever been too, and I love you with all my heart."

They kissed again. Soon everyone was congratulating them. Sidon came over to Link and hugged him. 

"I just got a big brother," said Sidon.

"You sure did, Sidon," said Link hugging him back. "And I just got a little brother. I hope we can have a lot of fun playing together.” 

"Welcome to the family," said King Dorephan. "You have made my daughter very happy and me as well." 

"I am honored, Your Majesty," said Link. "Your daughter has made me the happiest I have ever been." 

It was time for the reception, which would be held right in the same plaza. There was plenty of food and dancing. Link was not a good dancer, but he did his best. It was the first time he danced with Mipha.

"So we finally get to dance together," said Link. "I apologize for not being very good at it."

"No problem," said Mipha. "Just follow my lead. We Zoras love music so much Royal Family names follow musical scales. But just relax and listen to the music. This is one of my all time favorite songs. It's called 'Waves of Love' and I used to think of you every time I heard it. Now I can finally enjoy it with you as husband and wife."

"It is a beautiful piece of music. And I think the speeches start after our dance," said Link. "That's another great reason to keep dancing."

The dance finally ended and each Champion gave a short speech. Revali went first, and given their history Link was not sure what to expect. 

_"I am sure I don't need to introduce myself since everyone knows me as the famous Rito Champion Revali. I am happy to see Mipha and Link married. Mipha has always been a kind and caring person, but I have also admired her ability to excel as a Champion. I have to admit she mastered her Divine Beast before even I could. Link and I have had our differences in the past since neither of us wants to be number two. But I have to say Link has done well for himself and I respect his accomplishments. He and Mipha will always be welcome at Rito Village, and I wish them a long and happy life together."_

It was Daruk's turn next.

_“I am not very good at speeches. I have always liked Mipha and thought of Link as my “little guy” friend. They make a great couple, and I’m thrilled they’re married now. May they be happy together. And, Mipha and Link, if you ever have time to visit me in Goron City, you would be very welcome. Oh, remember to bring a lot of elixirs.”_

Urbosa was next.

_Vasaaq_ _everyone! And congratulations to the newlyweds! I suspected Mipha had feelings for Link for some time now, and I am so happy to see Link finally came to return her love and recognize how lucky he is to have such a wonderful, caring and loving person as his wife. Most of you don't realize Link traveled a harder road then you know to get here, but I am sure he is happy now that he did. They are both wonderful people and very deserving of each other. I know Zoras can't visit the desert, so I don't expect the newlyweds to visit me. But I offer them my sincerest best wishes for the happiest of lives together."_  

Finally, it was Princess Zelda's turn. Of all the guests, she was the person Link felt closest to.

_"I wish to extend my congratulations as well as that of my father, King Rhoam, to Mipha and Link on this special day in their lives. We both wish them well and want them to know they are always welcome at Hyrule Castle. I consider both Mipha and Link to be good friends. I have not known Link as long as Mipha has known him since they were childhood friends. And what a rare and wonderful treat it is to see childhood friends grow up to be sweethearts and eventually marry. But I have known Link for a long time and under unique circumstances. When I was 16, my father assigned him as my knight to protect me throughout my travels across Hyrule. We have spent many days together and traveled far, often in perilous situations. In that time together, I have come to know Link and respect him as a selfless champion. Lady Urbosa spoke of how lucky Link was to marry someone as wonderful and caring and loving as Mipha, and indeed he is lucky. But I want to say that Mipha is also lucky to have as a husband someone I can attest with all my heart is loyal and selfless in the face of overwhelming danger. Link has put his life on the line for me countless times without any concern for his safety. And he has never, ever, let me down amidst all the perils we faced. I want you to know, Mipha, you have married someone who will always be there for you when you need him and will do whatever he can to care for and protect you. My best wishes for a long and happy life together. To Mipha and Link!"_

The crowd cheered. After the speeches, there was some more dancing, and the party went on into the night. Link saw Zelda talking with Urbosa, then Urbosa left to get some refreshment. He walked over to Zelda.

"Your Highness," said Link. "May I have the honor of the next dance with you?"

“Of course, Link," Zelda laughed. "How could I pass up a dance with you on this special day!" 

Link took Zelda's hand, and they walked to the dance floor in the center of the plaza. The music began, and it was a slow dance. They held each other. 

"That was a beautiful speech," said Link. "Thank you so much for coming. It means a lot to me."

"I meant every word of it," said Zelda. "And I'm happy to be here. I hope you know how special you are to me. The experiences we shared are once in a lifetime, or maybe twice in your case, but they are something I will never forget. What we did together was extraordinary! Together with our Champion friends, we saved Hyrule. The last time that happened was over ten thousand years ago." 

They continued to hold each other as they danced.

"Yes, what we did we will never do again," said Link. "You're very special to me as well. I miss the talks we used to have during our travels. It's too bad you're so far away and so busy. Talking again sometimes would be nice." 

"You and Mipha are always welcome, and I am never too busy for you," said Zelda. "And I don't mind visiting Zora's Domain. It's beautiful here. And they do know how to party!"

The music was ending. Link had a feeling he couldn't put into words that something in his life he didn't quite understand was also coming to an end. Not that the rest of his life wouldn't be happy. And it wasn't about romance. He loved Mipha dearly. But what he and Zelda shared together would never happen again, and their relationship was unique. 

"Thank you, Zelda, for the dance and everything," said Link. "I do miss you.” 

"And I you," said Zelda. "But enjoy your life with Mipha now. We shall meet again."

The party was starting to wind down. The oldest and youngest guests had already left. Mipha and Link went around together, thanked everyone for coming, and wished them goodnight. They were planning to travel overland to Lanayru Bay tomorrow morning and then take a boat to Lurelin Village where they would spend five days relaxing. At Lurelin Village the seacoast and weather were beautiful, there was plenty of fresh fruit and fish, and they could enjoy swimming together. It was a favorite honeymoon spot. 

After saying goodnight to the remaining guests, Mipha and Link headed back to where they could sleep, holding hands.

"I cannot believe this day is finally here," said Link. 

“Me either,” said Mipha. “Once I fell in love with you, I always hoped this day would come but feared it never would. We spent a lot of time together growing up, but I wasn't sure at first, with you being a Hylian, you would ever return my feelings. But then you finally did on that special day together at Veiled Falls when we kissed for the first time. I knew then that you loved me, but from the time I first fell in love with you I always worried something would go wrong. Especially after you became Champion and Zelda's knight I feared you would be injured and I wouldn't be there to help you, or you would develop feelings for someone else while we were apart. I missed you so much and was thrilled every time you returned to the Domain. But in the end, you stayed true to your heart as I stayed true to mine, and now we can be together." 

"I'm glad I did stay true to my heart. But you don't know how hard I worked to get here in the other timeline! The loneliness of waking up with no memories and no friends, and the few people who recognized me blaming me for my failure. The many Sheikah Shrines I had to work through, the endless Guardian, Lynel and other monster battles, the long journeys alone through scorching hot and freezing cold deserts, snowy mountains, burning lava fields, and deep forests, and all the time with monsters hiding, ready to attack on sight. Sleeping alone at remote stables or camping out alone in the wilderness with the rain or snow blowing around me. Finding new weapons to replace the broken ones and searching for food and armor. And, worst of all, freeing the four Divine Beasts from the malignant creatures Ganon spawned and finding out my Champion friends had all perished a hundred years before. It was the most horrible life I could imagine!" said Link.

"Was it all worth it? Would you do it again?" asked Mipha. 

"In a heartbeat," said Link, leaning over to kiss her. 

It was time to enjoy their life together.


End file.
